Evacuations ordered west of Yreka as McKinney Fire explodes in size in Northern California
Read Sunday’s update: McKinney Fire burns 80 square miles west of Yreka
A wildfire that sparked Friday afternoon in Klamath National Forest has exploded to more than 30,000 acres, prompting from just west of Yreka to the Oregon border across a broad swath of Siskiyou County.
About 8 p.m., Yreka police issued an evacuation order for the area west of Fairchild and Shasta streets due to the McKinney Fire, which was 1% contained as of Saturday evening.
In a social media post, police said the order included the Oakridge Mobile Estates and that an evacuation warning was issued for all areas of the city west of Interstate 5.
“This area is being evacuated due to proximity to the fire and the need for additional time necessary for this group of residents to safely evacuate,” fire officials said in a post on the U.S. Forest Service’s incident website. “Residents in the Evacuation Order area should evacuate immediately.”
Buses are being arraigned to assist residents with transportation needs, authorities said. Those who need assistance can call 211 or notify an officer in the area. Siskiyou County’s Office of Emergency Services urges residents to call 911 only if there is an emergency.
This comes in addition to evacuation orders for roughly 2,000 residents living in Siskiyou County west and north of Yreka that are under threat from the blaze. The evacuation orders extend to the Oregon border.
West of the city, the fire burned down at least a dozen residences and wildlife was seen fleeing the area to avoid the flames. Photos from the Grants Pass Daily Courier showed homes and the community center destroyed in Klamath River, 20 miles west of Yreka, as well as burned vehicles on Highway 96.
Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a state of emergency in Siskiyou County due to the blaze, which has charred an estimated 30,000 acres. The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services said the action would help officials “access federal aid and unlock state resources.”
Residents can search addresses for evacuations and get more information at community.zonehaven.com.
An evacuation shelter will be opened at the Weed Community Center, 161 E. Lincoln Ave. after officials decided to close the shelter at the Kahtishraam Wellness Center in Yreka due to the fast-moving blaze.
Updated information on animal sheltering and how to find animals lost in the evacuation zones is available on the Siskiyou County website.
The McKinney Fire started in the Oak Knoll Ranger District of the Klamath National Forest as winds from late Friday thunderstorms kept the fire active through the night, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The fire had charred 175 acres Friday evening, about 18,000 as of an early Saturday morning report.
“Firefighters were forced to shift from an offensive perimeter control effort to evacuations, point protection and structure defense,” according to a Saturday morning update.
Another day of “very active fire behavior” is anticipated with very hot temperatures in the forecast, according to the Forest Service,. A red flag warning is in effect for lightning.
Two nearby fires merge
Two fires that sparked the previous night near the southside Seiad area of Klamath National Forest have combined as of Saturday, reaching a total of 300 to 350 acres.
Access to the joint China 2 Fire and Evans Fire is difficult due to “very rugged terrain,” according to the Forest Service.
Resources were limited because most otherwise available personnel are aggressively working to slow the McKinney Fire, the agency stated.
This story was originally published July 30, 2022 at 10:43 AM with the headline "Evacuations ordered west of Yreka as McKinney Fire explodes in size in Northern California."