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Update, 9:15 a.m.

The Red Bank fire burning west of Red Bluff remained at 8,838 acres Sunday morning, the same acreage reported Saturday evening.

Firefighters built more containment line around the fire overnight, however. By Sunday morning the fire was 20 percent contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire protection.

The Red Bank fire, about 25 miles west of Red Bluff, is one of two lightning-caused fires burning in Tehama County.

The South Fire is burning about 10 miles to the west of the Red Bank Fire and is burning in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. The South Fire was listed at 2,050 acres Sunday morning and 0% contained, according to Cal Fire.

While the Red Bank Fire had 1,930 people assigned to it, the South Fire had 26 people working on it.

Numerous other, smaller lighting-caused fires also are burning on the Shasta-Trinity and Klamath national forests. The Shasta-Trinity National Forest reported Sunday there were 26 fires caused by a lightning storm that moved through the North State on Sept. 5 and 6.

Many of those fires were less than an acre. The largest of the Shasta-Trinity lighning fires was 250 acres.

There were 40 lightning-caused fires on the Klamath National Forest. The Lime Fire, also started by lightning, had burned 253 acres about 25 miles north of Yreka.

Another lightning-caused fire, the Lone Fire northwest of Alturas, had burned 5,628 acres and was 55 percent contained as of Sunday.

Update, 7:18 p.m.

The fire is now 8,838 acres and 15 percent contained, Cal Fire said Saturday evening. No other major changes happened, officials said. 

Original story: 

The Red Bank Fire west of Red Bluff is now 9 percent contained at 7,754 acres, but officials said Saturday that low weekend humidity coupled with strong winds “could hamper containment efforts.” 

Both acreage and containment are up slightly from Friday night, when the fire burning 25 miles west of Red Bluff near Balis Bell Road was 7 percent contained at 7,340 acres. 

Still, fire officials cautioned that there was “poor humidity recovery overnight,” and that combined with increasing weekend winds “could hamper containment efforts.”

As of Saturday morning, officials estimated that the 9 percent contained represented 698 acres.

The fire broke out Thursday afternoon after lightning struck the area, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said. 

Meanwhile, a separate fire that broke out around the same time as the Red Bank Fire grew significantly Friday to 1,665 acres and was burning only about a mile away, officials said. 

That fire, the South Fire, was burning on Tomhead Mountain and also started from a lightning strike. 

Officials said they didn’t have the resources to attack both fires with the same intensity, and the Red Bank Fire was also blocking most access to the South Fire. It grew from 200 acres Friday morning to 1,665 acres by that night. 

While the two fires were burning in very close proximity, officials said they didn’t believe they would merge. 

The latest evacuation orders and warnings for the Red Bank Fire are: 

Mandatory Evacuations: Areas south of Highway 36 between Tedoc and Vestal roads, and between the Shasta-Trinity National Forest border and Four Corners intersection.

Evacuation Warning: The greater Red Banks Community east of Joint Road on and from Bell Road.

The sun sets through smoke clouds from the Red Bank Fire west of Red Bluff on Sept. 5, 2019.
A plume of smoke spreads toward Redding from the Red Bank Fire that had burned more than 4,200 acres west of Red Bluff as of late Thursday afternoon.
A Cal Fire engine sits on Vestal Road off Highway 36 waiting to be sent to the Red Bank Fire on Thursday evening, Sept. 5, 2019.
A plume of smoke spreads toward Redding from the Red Bank Fire that had burned more than 4,200 acres west of Red Bluff as of late Thursday afternoon.
The 4,300-acre Red Bank fire burns west of Red Bluff.
R-Wild Horse Ranch was under recommended evacuation on Thursday, due to the Red Bank Fire.
Smoke from the Red Bank Fire, at sunset.
Smoke from the Red Bank Fire outside of Red Bluff stretches into north Redding.
Video taken outside of the Record Searchlight in Redding shows the spread of smoke from the 4,000-plus-acre Red Bank Fire
This photo shows smoke from the Red Bank Fire at about 2:50 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019.

Replay

  • The sun sets through smoke clouds from the Red Bank Fire west of Red Bluff on Sept. 5, 2019.1 of 10
  • A plume of smoke spreads toward Redding from the Red Bank Fire that had burned more than 4,200 acres west of Red Bluff as of late Thursday afternoon.2 of 10
  • A Cal Fire engine sits on Vestal Road off Highway 36 waiting to be sent to the Red Bank Fire on Thursday evening, Sept. 5, 2019.3 of 10
  • A plume of smoke spreads toward Redding from the Red Bank Fire that had burned more than 4,200 acres west of Red Bluff as of late Thursday afternoon.4 of 10
  • The 4,300-acre Red Bank fire burns west of Red Bluff.5 of 10
  • R-Wild Horse Ranch was under recommended evacuation on Thursday, due to the Red Bank Fire.6 of 10
  • Smoke from the Red Bank Fire, at sunset.7 of 10
  • Smoke from the Red Bank Fire outside of Red Bluff stretches into north Redding.8 of 10
  • Video taken outside of the Record Searchlight in Redding shows the spread of smoke from the 4,000-plus-acre Red Bank Fire9 of 10
  • This photo shows smoke from the Red Bank Fire at about 2:50 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019.10 of 10

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More: Red Bank Fire: What we know Friday about the fire burning near Redding

More: Red Bank Fire map: Here’s where evacuations have been ordered; 25 structures threatened

More: Red Bank Fire update: Blaze burning west of Red Bluff grows to 7,340 acres, 7% contained

Alayna Shulman covers a little bit of everything for the Record Searchlight. In particular, she loves writing about the issues of this community through long-form storytelling. Her work often centers on local crime, features and politics, and has won awards for best writing, best business coverage and best investigative reporting in the California News Publishers Association’s Better Newspapers Contest. Follow her on Twitter (@ashulman_RS), call her at 530-225-8372 and, to support her work, please subscribe. 

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