American River fire forces evacuations

COLFAX , Calif. - Battling low humidity and shifting winds, more than 800 firefighters succeeded Monday in containing half of the 900-acre Stevens fire burning in the American River canyon near Interstate 80.

Helicopters sucking water from the north fork of the American River and Rollins Lake reservoir swooped above the blaze to aid fire crews navigating the steep terrain of the canyon, where the blaze reportedly was started by an electrical short in an unoccupied trailer Sunday afternoon.

On Sunday, about 100 homes were abandoned after being threatened by the blaze. On Monday, the fire claimed one mobile home.

"The hottest part of the fire is where the evacuees (live)," said Kathleen Schori, a Redding Fire Department firefighter and CDF spokeswoman. "That area is still our biggest concern."

As of late Monday evening, CDF officials had set no firm containment date for the fire. Because of the steep hillsides, relatively few fire trucks were stationed inside the canyon, though engines were protecting the homes nearby.

"You have very difficult topography," said Shane Lauderdale, a CDF firefighter and Redding Fire Department crew member. "There are locations in the canyon wall where you simply cannot get to."

Low humidity, difficult terrain and high temperatures "make for an extremely challenging firefighting conditions," Lauderdale said. "There's no way around it."