‘Get out with your life’: California’s deadly Carr Fire doubles in size again (to the size of Philadelphia!)

Fueled by an incendiary combination of scorching temperatures, dry air and unpredictable winds, the deadly Carr Fire has forced thousands to flee, torched 500 buildings and killed two firefighters trying to contain it.

By E. Aaron Williams, Mark Berman and Cleve R. Wootson, Jr. @ WashingtonPost.com, July 28

REDDING, Calif. — Fueled by an incendiary combination of scorching temperatures, dry air and unpredictable winds, the deadly Carr Fire has doubled in size to 80,906 acres — almost the size of the city of Philadelphia. The wildfire has forced thousands to flee, torched 500 buildings and killed two firefighters trying to contain it.

Fire Inspector Jeremy Stoke was killed battling the Northern California blaze, the Redding Fire Department announced. The other firefighter, a privately-hired bulldozer operator, has yet to be publicly identified.

The deaths underscored the hazards of a blaze that Cal Fire Chief Brett Gouvea called “extremely dangerous and moving with no regard to what’s in its path.”

The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning Friday, saying fire-favorable conditions would exist until at least 8 a.m. Monday. The fire was so strong it was producing wind gusts of up to 50 mph and fire whirlwinds — tornado-like funnels of fire, ash and combustible gas. Smoke from the Carr Fire could be seen from space. [.....]