Tuesday was the six year anniversary of the start of the Carr Fire. The most significant disaster in Shasta County history started along Highway 299 inside Whiskeytown National Recreation Area from a mechanical failure of a travel trailer. It took a few days to reach Redding. Five weeks later it had burned through 229,651 acres and 1,604 structures, including 1,077 homes. The fire forced the evacuation of 38,000 people and created a fire vortex with wind speeds of more than 165 miles an hour. The Park Service estimated the total monetary value of the damage at more than $1.6 Billion, but the human cost was immeasurable. Melody Bledsoe and her two great grandchildren, James and Emily, perished in their home in Keswick. Daniel Bush died in his home in the Old Shasta area. Dozer operator Don Ray Smith died when the fire overtook his rig west of Old Shasta. Jairus Ayeta died in a traffic accident as he worked to restore power while working as a lineman for PG&E. Redding Fire Inspector Jeremy Stoke died a hero’s death while trying to evacuate residents as he was overtaken by the fire tornado. The Jeremy Stoke Legacy Fire Foundation was established in his honor, and is now raising funds for a firefighters memorial at Redding Fire Station Number 8.
-Steve Gibson