Fire crews drive along Starlight Boulevard Friday.
A fast-moving grass fire that swept the hillside between Buenaventura and Starlight boulevards in west Redding on Thursday tested the nerves of homeowners in the area.
Fire crews in trucks were still monitoring the site Friday. The fire, which sent up huge waves of dark smoke, charred the bulk of the field west of the landing strip at Benton Air Park. It was a serious reminder that we’re just heading into the main portion of the north state fire season.
The blaze, which fire officials believe was started by debris from a vehicle’s catalytic converter, covered 120 acres in total.
“The winds were not favorable,” said Redding Fire Department spokesperson Jeff Granberry. “We had to use some aggressive fire fighting tactics. When the crews got there they had a lot of fire to deal with. We started by focusing on structure protection along Starlight. Fortunately, we had some good defensible space in there.”
Two winters ago, Redding fire crews did a major fuel reduction project in the area, Granberry said. The project may have saved several homes in the area, he speculated.
“It’s not a question of if that area will burn, but when,” Granberry said. “Right now we’re seeing the fires exhibit pretty active behavior.”
The fire scorched the field west of Benton Air Park.
Tony Navarro and his son Jason used hoses to douse the grass and trees behind Navarro’s mother’s home on Starlight Boulevard. The flames came as close as 25 feet to the back of Kathy Navarro’s property.
Tony Nararro said the wind pushed the fire at an incredible rate of speed behind his mother’s home.
“(My mom) was coming apart,” Navarro said. “My son and I were spraying everything back here. At one point, the smoke blew over real heavy and I had to turn away. I guess I’ll find out in a few days if I breathed in any poison oak with the smoke.”
The flames swept along the backyards of homeowners on Starlight Boulevard.
Navarro predicts that during one 10-second burst, the fire covered nearly 300 feet behind the property.
“It’s amazing how fast it moved,” Navarro said. “I usually have this (back) area completely cleared. This year, for the first time in quite a few years, I didn’t clear anything. Figures.”
Granberry said homeowners can still clear grasses and create defensible space. Synthetic line trimmers should be used for removing grasses and the work should be done no later than 10 a.m., Granberry said. Homeowners should not use lawn mowers to cut dry grasses.
Granberry also recommended clearing debris, woodpiles and other flammable materials away from homes. He also said rain gutters — which often contain easily ignited materials — should be cleaned out during fire season. Blowing embers can catch those materials and quickly start homes burning.
“We’re in the thick of it,” Granberry said. “It’s going to be fire season until we get some rains.”
Jim Dyar is a news, arts and entertainment journalist for A News Cafe and the former arts and entertainment editor for the Record Searchlight’s D.A.T.E. section. Jim is also a songwriter and leader of the Jim Dyar Band. He lives in Redding. E-mail him at jimd.anewscafe@gmail.com.
