What Caused the Salt Fire in Northern California? Officials Think Vehicle May Be to Blame

What Caused the Salt Fire in Northern California? Officials Think Vehicle May Be to Blame
Flames surround a drought-stricken Shasta Lake during the "Salt fire" in Lakehead, Calif., early on July 2, 2021. (Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images)
Tribune News Service
7/3/2021
Updated:
4/20/2022
By Zaeem Shaikh From The Sacramento Bee

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—U.S. Forest Service investigators are looking for a vehicle that may have caused the Salt Fire, which began Wednesday north of Redding and south of Lakehead.

Officials are asking if anyone observed any disabled vehicles or abnormally slow-moving vehicles traveling north along Interstate 5 on Wednesday between 1 and 1:30 p.m.

Suzi Johnson, a spokesperson for the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, said investigators believe the cause of the fire was from a vehicle, but they are trying to see if they can gather more information of the vehicles that were driving in that direction.

Johnson added that it’s still undetermined as to what kind of vehicle may have caused the fire.

People with information on the incident can call Forest Service investigators at 530-226-2783.

As of Thursday afternoon, the fire had burned 4,500 acres with 0 percent containment. It’s burning east of I-5 near the Salt Creek exit south of Lakehead. Evacuation orders are still in place for areas south of Lakehead near I-5, along with multiple warnings throughout the region.

There were more than 250 firefighters on the scene and the cause of the fire is unknown.

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