A heavy equipment mechanic for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection who was assigned to the Carr Fire — the second-largest wildfire — near Redding was killed in a car accident on Highway 99 in Tehama County early Thursday morning, the depart said in a statement.
The Carr Fire has burned more than 176,000 acres over the last few weeks has destroyed more than 1,000 homes, fire officials said. Among the eight victims of the Carr Fire were a woman and her two young great-grandchildren.
The largest fire glazing through the Golden State, the Mendocino Complex Fire in Northern California, has burned at least 302,086 acres since July 27, making it the largest ever seen in the state. It was 48 percent contained as of Thursday morning, and authorities said it probably wouldn’t be contained before September.
