REDDING, Calif. (AP) — Abandoned trucks are scattered along a section of a major California freeway, which closed after a wildfire exploded near Redding.
The Delta Fire erupted Wednesday and has roared through timber and brush on both sides of Interstate 5 near the Oregon state line.
Fire officials say the blaze, which was human-caused, shut down about 45 miles of the freeway and there’s no word when it will reopen.
California Highway Patrol Lt. Cmdr. Kyle Foster tells the Los Angeles Times that truckers abandoned 17 big-rigs as flame raged next to the freeway, and at least four rigs caught fire.
Evacuations were ordered for scattered homes and cabins in and around the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.
But while the fire was moving rapidly, fire officials say it doesn’t immediately threaten any large towns.