Caltrans: section of I-5 will remain closed until Sunday due to the Delta Fire

LAKEHEAD, Calif. – Interstate 5 will likely remain closed until Sunday, Caltrans said.

The Delta Fire started on September 5 along Interstate 5 north of Lakehead. It quickly promoted the closure of over 40 miles of Interstate 5 between the Fawndale exit and Mott Road, 3.6 miles south of Mt. Shasta. Dunsmuir residents were exempt from the closure.

On September 7, the California Department of Transportation said the closure will likely last until Sunday, September 9.

According to CalTrans, there is debris that still needs to be cleaned up and damaged areas need to be repaired. In addition, the fire is still burning very close to the highway. About 3,000 trees still pose a hazard.

Caltrans said they’ll continue to re-assess the situation on Sunday with hopes of re-opening the highway. But it wasn’t a guarantee.

Caltrans provided the following alternate routes:

For motorists traveling south on I-5 from Mt. Shasta: Take SR 89 to SR299. estimated to take three hours with grid-lock traffic speeds. Or, take southbound SR89 to westbound SR44 into Redding. Estimated to take up to two hours with moderate traveling speeds.
For motorists traveling north on I-5 from Redding: Take eastbound SR 299 to northbound SR89 then travelers may choose to take northbound SR89 to Mount Shasta. Estimated to take up to three hours with gridlock traffic speeds. Or, take eastbound SR 299 to northbound SR139 at Canby to westbound SR161 to Dorris, to southbound US 97 to Weed, and then back onto northbound I-5, an estimate of up to five hours and free flow traveling speeds.

Meanwhile, the Delta Fire burning north of Lake Shasta has grown to 24,000 acres and remains 0% contained.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, over 1,500 people are working to contain the fire.

Numerous structures are threatened and the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office has issued mandatory evacuations for people living along Interstate 5 from exit 707 to exit 714. In addition, the Trinity County Sheriff’s Office said residents of East Fork Road to Ramshorn Road east to the Shasta-Trinity County line need to evacuate.

Residents in and around the community of Dunsmuir were told by the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office they need to be prepared to evacuate.

Crews hope to completely contain the fire by September 22.