Klamathon Fire Latest: I-5 Reopens; 1 Civilian Death Reported

ASHLAND, OR — One civilian has died in the Klamathon Fire, California fire officials confirmed Friday. The death was announced just before 9:30 a.m. July 6. No other details were available at the time of this posting.

Now burning 8,000 acres, the Klamathon Fire is only 5 percent contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire). The fire began just after noon on Thursday, July 5, and quickly grew more than 5,000 acres by early Thursday evening.

The Klamathon Fire forced the closure of Interstate-5 between Ashland and Yreka late Thursday afternoon as California firefighters and emergency responders worked quickly to evacuate residents from the area around Hornbrook and Hilt, California. A handful of nearby rural highways were also closed.

Around 6:30 a.m. July 6, ODOT announced CalFire was reopening I-5 and escorting travelers through the burn zone, with help from Oregon State Police and the California Highway Patrol. Delays could take anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours, officials said.

Just before 9 a.m. I-5 north and south were reopened completely without the need for escorts, though state transportation officials still want travelers to expect considerable delays as dense, slow-moving traffic navigates the burn zone.

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Image via Oregon Department of Transportation