story and photos by Karen Laslo
In the Northern California town of Red Bluff, just south of the Redding Carr Fire, the Tehama District Fairground has been converted to a makeshift staging and resting area for the exhausted fire crews battling the catastrophic fire that has threatened to engulf the whole of Redding to the north.
The townspeople of Red Bluff, who have witnessed the daily exchange of firefighters to and from the fairground, have shown their gratitude for the fire crews by posting “Thank you” signs on the enclosing fence.
The Carr Fire started July 23, and as of Aug. 11, had burned 190,873 acres, destroyed 191 homes and was 57 percent contained, Cal Fire says. The Red Bluff Daily News reported that citizens came out to personally thank the firefighters Aug. 9.
Karen Laslo is a freelance photographer who contributes photos to ChicoSol and produces the blog “A Picture’s Worth.”