King Fire: Northeastern Spread Of Fire 'Basically Stopped' As Residents Get First Look At Fire Damage
POLLOCK PINES (CBS13) — Firefighters continued making significant progress on the King Fire on Tuesday as some families returned to see the damage to their homes for the first time in person.
The fire has burned nearly 90,000 acres, but progress made on Tuesday has nearly doubled containment to 35 percent.
In what was once one of the fastest-growing sections of the King Fire, division group supervisor Jason Lamberth says the fire has stopped spreading. The northeastern edge of the fire is the one that once exploded 15 square miles in a single night, but it has dramatically slowed down.
But Lamberth cautions it will be days before the fire is completely under control in that section.
The fire has destroyed 12 homes and 56 other buildings, and some of the owners of those homes got a first look at the damage done.
Garry and Sally Dykstra built their house near Pollock Pines by hand.
"Our entire lives, 20 years, just down the toilet," Garry said.
They knew it burned to the ground after seeing reports on the news, but nothing could prepare them for seeing the devastation first-hand.
"We were coming up the road and saw the devastation. along side of us and everything, we had a pretty good idea," Sally said. "Yeah it hit, but it probably didn't hit as hard if we hadn't seen a few pictures."
