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TUESDAY AUGUST 21, 2012 www.redbluffdailynews.com See Page 6A Breaking news at: Vitality Students Rock With Teacher RED BLUFF Weather forecast 10B Sunny 95/61 DAILYNEWS Practices SPORTS 1B Smoke Moves TEHAMACOUNTY DAILY 50¢ T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 MANTON (AP) —More than 1,800 personnel were still battling the 16,000-acre Ponderosa Fire two miles east of Manton Mon- day as it threatened to destroy thousands of homes. The fire, which has already destroyed seven resi- See Page 3B for more photos dences, erupted shortly after 11:30 a.m. Saturday from a light- ning strike and forced wide rang- ing evacuations and local emer- gency declarations from Tehama and Shasta counties. Blaze threatens Manton The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency authorized federal funds to be used to reimburse up to 75 percent of the firefighting costs. The fire was burning at a mod- erate rate of speed northeast towards Shingletown and Viola Monday. Firefighters were be chal- lenged by dry conditions and dif- ficult terrain ranging from grass- land to timber and had the fire 30 percent contained as of 7 p.m. Monday. "All we can do is pray," evac- uee Jerry Nottingham told reporters. The fast-moving Ponderosa Fire was one of many burning across the West, where lightning, dry temperatures and gusting winds have brought an early start to fire season. Daily News photo by Rich Greene Firefighters work to contain the Ponderosa Fire Monday on Rock Creek Road a few miles south of Highway 44. "These are the largest number of homes we've had threatened so far this year," state fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said. "The grass, brush and timber up here are so Fairground takes in displaced critters By ANDRE BYIK over the weekend to shelter animals owned by residents who have been displaced because of wildfires burning in the eastern part of the county. So far the animal intake has been minimal, said Mark Eidman, CEO of the fairgrounds. There have been a few dogs, a rabbit, some cats and about 80 goats. The fairgrounds was hosting a goat show during evacuation recommendations, Eidman said, and the amount of goats has dwindled down to about 20 or 30 as owners find other shelters. The fairgrounds is accepting all animals, Eidman said, jokingly adding: "Until they show up with an ele- phant. If they do we'll find a place to put them." Eidman said residents who are asked to leave their homes have "a million things to worry about," adding, See CRITTERS, page 9A California considers farmworker overtime SACRAMENTO (AP) — California farmwork- ers would be paid over- time after working an eight-hour day or 40 hours in a week, the same as other non-management employees, under a bill approved by the state Sen- ate on Monday over the objections of Republican lawmakers. Farm laborers current- ly are paid overtime after working 10 hours in a day or a 60-hour week under a legal exemption that dates to 1941. Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, vetoed a sim- ilar bill two years ago, but backers hope Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, will sign it. ''We have overtime, eight-hour days, for a very simple reason. People are entitled to some period for recreation, for rest, for relief from the work that they do,'' said Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, who carried the bill. ''It's fundamental questions of fairness, equity and sim- ple common sense.'' Sen. Jean Fuller, R- Bakersfield, said AB1313 will end up harming laborers because farm owners will cut their hours or switch to crops that can be harvested mechanically, rather than pay overtime. ''We will lose jobs. The price of certain food commodities will go up,'' she said. R-Willows, said many migrant workers in his experience want to work Sen. Doug La Malfa, 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 See BILL, page 9A DN Sports Editor The Tehama District Fairground opened its facilities dry, and once the lightning with no rain struck, the flames began to spread quickly." Even surrounding communi- ties were feeling the effects of the fire as the Tehama County Air Pollution Control District issued a press release stating air quality had fallen into the unhealthy range. The district said active children and adults, and people with respi- ratory disease, such as asthma, See BLAZE, page 9A Evacuees gather at Redding shelter By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer While fire trucks from around the state are responding to the Pon- derosa Fire in the Manton and Shingletown areas, residents who were evacu- ated, starting late Satur- day afternoon, are waiting in a variety of places including the Red Cross evacuation center in Red- ding. As of Sunday evening, the Red Cross and Salva- tion Army had teamed up to provide assistance for 57 people at the evacua- tion center, which is at Big League Dreams Sports Park, 20155 Viking Way, in Redding. "We opened this site Sunday afternoon because we were worried we would outgrow the capac- ity at the initial site," said American Red Cross Coordinator and Public Information Officer Eric Kiltz. "Sometimes in the initial state a place is opened that is smaller than what is need. In this case, the entire town of Manton was evacuated." Jeremy Sousa and Darr Courtois were evacuated from Wild Turkey Lane, which sits between Rock Creek Road and Long Flat Hay Road. "My daughter grabbed a game bag for us to bring knowing I'd be confined to a wheel chair," Cour- tois said. "It's better than worrying about the house. We call our house every hour and if the message machine picks up we know our house is still there. We just hope the lines aren't down." Courtois and Sousa, who is her adopted grand- son, said she first realized they would have to evacu- ate about 6 p.m. Saturday when she received a Daily News photo by Julie Zeeb Tom Meadors of Shingletown talks with his wife, Jay, Monday while waiting for news on the Ponderosa Fire at the Red Cross/Salvation Army evacuation center set up at Big League Dreams Sports Park in Redding. reverse 911 call and short- ly thereafter a knock on their door from the sher- iff's department. "The fire was close to us," Courtois said. 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