The Stephens Fire in Siskiyou County has been declared 100 percent contained. It broke out Tuesday after a control burn on private property escaped containment.
Public Information Officer Andrea Capps says it burned about 200 acres 18 miles east of McCloud, just south of Horse Peak. Crews from Cal-Fire and the Shasta Trinity National Forest are continuing to strengthen containment lines. She says the cause is under investigation, but that it’s likely changing weather conditions that caused the fire to escape.
“You know it’s hard to say,” Capps said. “This could just be one of those freak moments where winds changed and it just got away from them. Or it could be an indicator of the persistent drought in the area and how dry our fuels are. Even with the recent rains that area that the fire started in on Tuesday normally has snow cover on it.”
No structures were threatened. Even though rain and snow is expected this weekend, Capps warns that this fire season could be extremely dangerous, and yesterday’s fire is a stark reminder that it could have already started.