Ground Gained Large Wildfire in Northern California

Firefighters made progress late Sunday in battling a lightning-sparked Northern California wildfire that has been burning in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest for five days, officials said.

Light winds helped firefighters directly attack the 1,480-acre blaze as they worked in hot, dry conditions, fire spokesman Dan Bastion said.

Containment grew from 20 to 40 percent.

“We gained a lot of ground today,” Bastion said.

An evacuation order for about 100 people along a county road southeast of the fire was lifted, though those residents and about 240 people in the town of Hyampom were told to be ready to leave if there are flareups.

The lightning-sparked blaze broke out in the forest about halfway between Eureka and Redding, which saw 99 degree heat on Sunday as a high pressure system lingers over far Northern California.