DOUGLAS CITY, Calif. — The Reading Fire, sparked by lightning from recent thunderstorms, has reached 55% containment and remains at 39 acres as of 7:50 a.m. on Tuesday, June 10 according to Cal Fire.
The blaze, which began Sunday evening, prompted two evacuation warnings which were lifted on Tuesday morning.
Jas Shaw, a public information officer with Cal Fire, said that forward progress on the fire has been halted thanks to the efforts of multiple engines, hand crews, dozers, water tenders, and air resources. However, the challenging terrain has made firefighting efforts difficult.
“The fire is just burning in very steep and rugged terrain, some stuff is hard to get to and they really have to go in on foot,” Shaw said. “They’re hiking steep terrain to get in there and mop up; doing a lot of work today.”
Currently, 13 hand crews and approximately 200 personnel are assigned to the fire. Shaw noted that crews are prepared to remain on site for another day, as more lightning is expected this evening.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has indicated that non-rain-producing thunderstorms, common in the summer months, are a frequent source of natural wildland fire ignitions in the West. Anticipating these dry lightning storms is crucial for land managers.
For the latest updates on evacuation warnings and weather threats, residents are encouraged to visit the Cal Fire incidents page.