Crews continued to make good progress on a fire burning east of Redding that erupted late Saturday afternoon.
As of Monday, July 20, the Brook Fire had not grown overnight, staying at 502 acres as containment rose slightly to 30%, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Cal Fire spokeswoman Jas Shaw said firefighters have hose lines and dozer lines all around the fire’s perimeter.
The fire was dispatched at 4:11 p.m. on Saturday, July 18, in the area of Holbrook Drive and Aloha Road, quickly growing to 40 acres in a matter of minutes under dry, scorching conditions.
“Everything is holding, so things are looking good. We are expecting some thunderstorms today, so we hope it doesn’t bring too much lightning,” Shaw said Monday morning.
Shaw said the cloud cover keeps “the fuels’ relative humidity higher which lowers fire risk.”
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The sheriff’s office reduced the last evacuation order — for zone BEV-4250 — to a warning. There is also an evacuation warning for zone BEV-4370, Shaw said.
Backbone Ridge Road at Hidden Valley Drive and Backbone Road at Seaman Gulch are closed. Elk Trail East is open to residents only.
There were 513 firefighters on the fire as of Monday.
On Sunday, Shasta County fire officials reported seven firefighters suffered minor burn injuries on Saturday while battling the Brook Fire.
A statement released Sunday did not elaborate how they were hurt but said all personnel with the Cal Fire Vina Helitack were taken to local hospitals for evaluation and have since been treated and released.
Shaw on Monday did not have further details on how the firefighters were hurt.
This story was updated to add new information.
David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly “Buzz on the Street” column. He’s part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-338-8323. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Brook Fire containment in Shasta County up as blaze holds at 502 acres
Reporting by David Benda, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
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By David Benda, Redding Record Searchlight | USA TODAY Network
