At least 12 people were missing in Shasta County, California, as the monstrous Carr Fire continued to grow Sunday, authorities said.
Redding Police Sgt. Todd Cogle said, "We're finding that there are a lot of communication issues" making it hard to locate residents.
"We spoke with several people who left their cell phones at their residences and in this day and age people don't remember people's phone numbers," Cogle said.
The fire, fueled by high winds and dry conditions, has chewed through 89,194 acres since Monday and is only 5 percent contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire.
High temperatures, low humidity and increased winds are all in the forecast, setting the stage for more explosive fire behavior, Chris Harvey with the Cal Fire Incident Management Team said Sunday.
The blaze doubled in size Saturday. Flames have destroyed 517 structures in the Redding area, Cal Fire said.
The erratic flames are blamed for six deaths, including 70-year-old Melody Bledsoe and her great-grandchildren, 4-year-old Emily Roberts and 5-year-old James Roberts.
This fire is scary to us. This is something we haven't seen before in the city," Redding Police Chief Roger Moore told reporters Friday night.More than 3,000 fire personnel are battling the flames with more than 300 engines and 17 helicopters, Cal Fire reported.
The fire began Monday when a vehicle suffered mechanical failure, officials said. Firefighters had been making progress containing it until Thursday night, when it began to quickly spread.
Firefighter, bulldozer operator also killed
At least two people died fighting the fire, and several others have been hurt.
Jeremy Stoke, a fire inspector with the Redding Fire Department, died Thursday, the Redding firefighters union said.
Stoke, who joined the Redding Fire Department in 2004, was killed while assisting with evacuations, the union said.
A private-hire bulldozer operator, who was not identified, also died Thursday while battling the fire.
Three Marin County firefighters were treated for burns to the ears, hands and face after they encountered a "sudden blast of heat" from burning vegetation. Engineer Scott Pederson and firefighters Tyler Barnes and Brian Cardoza have been released from a hospital, the fire department said Friday in a news release.
A fourth firefighter was being evaluated at the UC Davis Burn Center, the news release said.
In addition to the Carr Fire, more than a dozen other large wildfires are burning throughout California, stretching resources.
The Cranston Fire near San Bernardino has burned more than 13,130 acres and is 29 percent contained.
A man accused of setting several fires in Riverside County, including the Cranston Fire, was arrested Wednesday, authorities said.
The Ranch and River fires in Mendocino County have collectively scorched more than 24,000 acres, Cal Fire said.
The Ferguson Fire in Mariposa County has burned 53,646 acres and is 30 percent contained
