Carr Fire latest: California firefighters plan back burn as LAST RESORT as blaze nears to
AS the devastating Carr wildfire in California continues to ravage the state, firefighters have been tasked with the last-resort measure of back burning, with the devastating blaze continues to spread towards the towns of Douglas City and Lewiston.
California fire: Aerial footage shows extent of HUGE wildfire
The practice of back-burning is seen as a last resort measure to stop the further spread of fire from particular areas.
The practice refers to setting fires from containment lines, such as established fire breaks or hastily built ones made by a bulldozer or painstakingly cut by hand.
Since the blaze ignited eight days ago, two firefighters have lost their lives fighting the blaze.
Since last week, tens of thousands have been forced to evacuate their homes as the Carr fire, the most aggressive of the blazes, rages on.
Six people have lost their lives in the blaze, which has consumed 95,000 acres of land and destroyed 657 homes.
The deceased includes a 70-year-old woman and her two great-grandchildren age four and five, perished when their Redding home was rapidly swallowed up by flames.
50,000 people have been forced from their homes, as 17 separate blazes ravage large parts of the US state, causing destruction in its path.
Starting in the Whiskeytown–Shasta–Trinity National Recreation Area, the official cause of the fire has been recorded as ‘Mechanical Failure of a Vehicle’.
The blaze was first reported at an intersection of the US highway 299 and Carr powerhouse road, on July 23.
The Carr Fire is still spreading throughout Shasta county California, and has journeyed well into Redding at the eastern of its perimeter, promting firefighters to take drastic containment measures including back burning.
In the South, the blaze has spread over to the town of Igo before veering off into the south east.
Meanwhile, in the west, the fire is spreading in the direction of Douglas City.