Klamathon Fire 20 pct. contained; 72 structures destroyed

(Update; Saturday night update on fire)

Nearly 2,400 firefighters have brought the 22,000-acre Klamathon Fire at the California-Oregon border to 20 percent containment, but the number of structures destroyed has risen to 72, officials said Saturday night.

The fire that began Thursday afternoon south of Hornbrook is now showing moderate fire behavior as it spreads into the Klamath National Forest, Horseshoe Ranch Wildlife Area and private timber stands, officials said. About 600 homes in Hornbrook and Hilt, California, and Colestin, Oregon remain threatened, down from the 750 earlier in the day, according to Saturday night’s Cal Fire report.

Evacuations had been ordered in the communities of Hornbrook, Hilt, Colestin and Irongate Reservation, with warnings to be ready in a broader area. Evacuation shelters opened at the Jackson Street School in Yreka and Ashland High School north of the border. Shelters also were set up for small and large animals in Yreka.

Officials said earlier Saturday that the fire was only 5 percent contained and “there is a high potential for spread” into the Klamath and Rogue River-Siskiyou national forests and Jackson County, as well as private timberlands. Areas threatened include I-5, which reopened Friday morning, and Verizon cellphone towers on Horn Peak.

It’s one of numerous fires burning around California and the hot and dry West.

In southern California, firefighters were taking advantage of calm conditions to attack a small but destructive wildfire in the Santa Barbara County community of Goleta.

Fire Capt. Dave Zaniboni said there was no wind at all Saturday morning – a far different situation than Friday night when the fire erupted and was spread wildly by 50 mph gusts.

The blaze consumed an estimated 20 structures, including homes and other types of buildings.

Many of the structures continued to burn Saturday, but Zaniboni said the forward spread of the fire had been stopped. It’s estimated at 100 acres or less.

The cause of the fire remains unknown. It erupted in the midst of a triple-digit heat wave that has sent humidity levels plunging, making conditions ripe for fires.