A thick haze continues to blanket the skies of Northern California from the hundreds of thousands of acres of burning forests. The Carr Fire is nearing containment at 96% after burning nearly 230,000 acres. 1,079 homes were lost along with 22 businesses, though it’s been weeks since the last structural damage was reported from the enormous fire. It’s spread has been limited to unoccupied areas mostly to the west of Lake Shasta. The fire continues to be very active within the containment lines. Highway 299 is open with significant delays between Redding and Weaverville. The Shasta Trinity National Forest is closed between Shasta and Trinity Lakes, as is Whiskeytown with the exception of the visitor center. The Shasta Dam Visitor Center is again open to the public. Free tours of the dam are also being scheduled again. The Bureau of Reclamation had suspended public activities at the dam because of the Carr Fire, but they announced Monday that they’re back on again. Details can be found through usbr.gov. Shasta Caverns is open.