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Market Street fire
Redding’s Sundial Bridge is closed today (Wednesday) while firefighters mop up hot spots left from Tuesday’s brushfire near the north end of the bridge. The McConnell Arboretum, which was damaged in the fire, also is closed, but Turtle Bay museum and cafe are open.
Witnesses say the fire began in a ravine off Lake Boulevard before it jumped North Market Street. Power outages were reported near Hilltop Drive and along the Benton Drive areas.
We welcome your fire-information updates/photos.
This photo of early morning smoke ribbons was taken Wednesday by Duane Langshaw of Old Shasta.
The next three photos were taken Tuesday by Jon Lewis of Redding.
The photos below were taken Tuesday afternoon by Rocky Slaughter of Redding, and show smoke from the fire near the McConnell Arboretum.
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I really hope all is well, fire is always scary. That said, those are very striking images.
I was headed to town from Shasta Lake at noon and saw the huge plume of smoke, when I got to Masonic Drive I turned in and found that several firetrucks were staged there. I didn’t want to be in the way so I turned around and came to town via
Quartz Hill from Keswick Dam Road. The view of the fire from the Quartz Hill ridge was ominous! I saw about 6 different men who looked “homeless” coming out of the brush along the roadway. When I got down to Caldwell park RPD had the road closed to go north on Market up Sulfur Creek Hill and I drove across the Lake Redding Bridge to Cal Trans on Riverside and parked. I couldn’t beleive the traffic clogging the access to the fire! I walked to the middle of the Market Street bridge and watched the helicopters dipping into the river on both sides of the bridge and the incredible bombers attacking the fire that was raging through the old Benton Ranch just north of the Sundial Bridge. While I was on the bridge the buses started streaming out of Turtle Bay School, loaded with students - they seemed to be pretty calm as they stopped on the bridge in the traffic . I was impressed to see that there were several adults on each bus to help in what had to be a stressfull situation for those children.
My sister called on my cell and said that her son who fights fire for USFS in Mt Shasta was dispatched with a water tanker truck and was here in Redding to help. It was amazing watching all of the different units working together too keep this fire from spreading to homes and businesses in that area. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! Janice Powell
The pictures are stunning and frightening. Those fire fighters are amazing. We are so blessed to have such capable men and women protecting all of us. They are in our prayers. Here’s another thank you!!
As someone who lives in Trinity County, I am relieved that the firefighters were there for you. Sometimes it takes awhile for them to reach us here in the mountains. The pictures are amazing.
Stunning photographs. Thank you for sharing.
I live nearby, and the smoke was rising so fast that it was very frightening. My granddaughter is a new kindergartner at Turtle Bay who was evacuated. The staff there did an AMAZING job getting those little ones to safety without frightening them. I was a nervous wreck that she would be panicked, crying, and looking for her parents. Thanks to the calm, cool, and collected staff she was waiting at Sequoia with her teacher and classmates after having enjoyed her first school bus ride.
I can’t say enough about our courageous firefighters - once again they have saved us. Blessings to all of them.
Thank you for the incredible photos. My guys were evacuated from Turtle Bay School today. The staff at Turtle Bay were amazing. I found my youngest son first and then was assured by several staff members that ALL children were on buses and that traffic was an issue. Sure enough, my eldest son arrived a few minutes (which seemed like HOURS at the time) later. Much thanks for both schools, everyone did a great job!!!
Andrea Charroin
Mom to Dexter and Felex
Why thank you everyone for the compliments! If anyone is interested, I use a different photo technique called “HDR” or (High Dynamic Range) photos. If you Google that technique, you can also get really colorful shots.
If anyone is interested in other Sundial Photos, they will be posted here:
http://www.sundialphotos.com before the weekend.
Wow! Pictures are great!!
Yes, great pics, but after looking at the exploding palm tree the question still exists…Do we really need palm trees down Hilltop Drive?
Seems like there is an arsonist operating out there. Leaving for work this morning I heard a popping sound across the street in the park (Royal Oaks)….a fire had just started…looked like a campfire but grew very quickly. Fire Department was very quick in responding to my call and efficient in getting it out. Apparently they weren’t that far away as they were over on the fire off of Buenaventura/Placer.
Those were excellent photos. Really brings into focus the effect that fire and wind can do. Our fire fighters are really not paid enough. They are the greatest! I was coming out of Perko’s when I saw the plumes of smoke, and knew it had to be bad.
Apart from the technical quality of the pictures, the journalistic quality is far above those printed you know where.