The devastating Carr Fire continued to spread Saturday into rural areas of Shasta County, but authorities were beginning to express more confidence that they had halted the advance of the flames into the city of Redding and could turn their focus to battling the flames west of the city and deal with an outbreak of looting reports.

The five-day-old fire's burned area jumped from 48,000 acres Friday evening to 83,800 acres by Saturday night, a swath of 130 square miles, and was only at 5 percent containment. Authorities reported five dead and several still missing. The fire had destroyed 536 structures, damaged another 117 and was threatening nearly 5,000.

Officials emphasized that the danger is not over and asked for patience from the 38,000 people who have been forced from their homes since Thursday evening.