Redding, CA Fire, Sept 1908

Big Blaze At Redding

Special to the Evening News.
Redding, Calif., September 24. - Both Warehouses of the Redding Feed Company Were Burned in Last Night’s Fire Causing a Loss of $16,000. An Incendiary Suspect Was Arrested This Morning. One Man Is Missing and Is Believed To Have Been Burned To Death. The Total Loss Is Estimated At $70,000, With Insurance At $40,000.

Serious Fire
Eureka, September 24. - A serious forest fire that is wreaking havoc in this section has broken out at Vance’s lumber camp near here, and is spreading rapidly.

The lumber mill of the Kellstrom company is a total loss, together with all the houses there. The estimated loss is placed at $60,000, with no insurance. Kellstrom and his crew escaped to Trinidad, where they were given refuge by the town people.

Miss Kellstrom was left behind in the excitement and was given up for lost, but arrived at Trinidad after a terrible journey of three hours through the timber on foot. Kellstrom and wife escaped in an automobile, which was all the property saved by them.

Burned Railway Line
Reaching the tracks of the Hammond logging road, the fire crossed and burned out several miles of track and many trestles, probably tying up traffic for several weeks. Many of the people in the neighborhood of Luffeholtz are taking refuge at Trinidad, thankful to escape with their lives, and leaving their property to be destroyed.

All of the vast stretch of timber land from Trinidad and Luffenholtz to Little river is being swept by the flames. Kellstrom states that unless the wind dies down soon the total loss will run to hundreds of thousands of dollars. People miles away are suffering from dense clouds of smoke that are being swept from the burning timer. The flames are discernible through the dense timber for five miles.

Worst Fire In History
The fire is the worst in the history of the county and has already done heavy damage.

The Hammond Company’s passenger train that arrived at Samoa with refugees from Luffenholtz and Fieldbrook, who escaped with nothing but the clothes they wore, ran through a burning forest. This daring deed was all that saved the train crew and passengers from certain death.

The Evening News, San Jose, CA 24 Sept 1908
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Transcribed by June. Thanks June!