Carr Fire jumps Shasta-Trinity county line, neighbors more scared than ever

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ByEric Thomas KGO logo
Wednesday, August 1, 2018
Carr Fire jumps Shasta-Trinity county line, neighbors more scared than ever
"They're afraid the little town of Lewiston is going to burn," said Ron Purl, who retired to Lewiston from Livermore a few years back. He is one of the Trinity County evacuees who check a map outside the local grocery store for daily updates on the fire, updates he says he can't get from fire department websites.

REDDING, Calif. (KGO) -- The Carr Fire has spread to 112,000 acres and is 30 percent contained.

There's a growing emphasis on the Trinity County side of the Carr Fire now that flames have reached over the county line.

Since no homes appear to be threatened by the flames on the Trinity-Shasta County line, firefighters are letting it burn.

But that's not true a few miles away.

"They're afraid the little town of Lewiston is going to burn," said Ron Purl, who retired to Lewiston from Livermore a few years back. He is one of the Trinity County evacuees who check a map outside the local grocery store for daily updates on the fire, updates he says he can't get from fire department websites.

"As far as the updates on anything online, everything is from Shasta County, not Trinity County," he said. "I'm really scared of my house getting burned."

LIST: People missing in Shasta County's Carr Fire

The map has become a sort of town square for Lewiston folks to share what they know. And not far away in the parking lot of a CVS pharmacy, a little enclave of travel trailers has sprung up, filled with people who had to flee Lewiston over the weekend and rough it.

"No showers, no electricity, no nothing," said one evacuee.

Late Tuesday afternoon, Cal Fire and other emergency agencies held a community meeting to update folks on the firefighting effort.

Officials say their number one priority is getting people home.

But there is no timetable for that, and weary firefighters are doing their best. But evacuee Edith and thousands like her have one wish, "I just want to go home."

More than that, she hopes there's still a home to go home to.

In response to the devastating wildfires in Shasta County, Tri Counties Bank has created a verified GoFundMe campaign to help those impacted by the fires. Click here if you'd like to help.

Get the latest on the Carr Fire here, the Complex Fire here and the latest on wildfires across California here.

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