Two more people have died in fast-moving wildfires that tore through more than 56,000 acres of dry timber, grass and bushes in northern California since Friday, bringing the total deaths in the blaze to four.
The blaze, dubbed the McKinney Fire, began in the Klamath National Forest in Siskiyou County, California, about 14 miles south of the Oregon border, according to officials, and has since become the state’s largest wildfire this year. I grew up.
It exploded over the weekend, ordering thousands of people in nearby rural areas to evacuate, prompting California Governor Gavin Newsom to declare Emergency in Siskiyou County.
Tuesday, Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office They said they found two bodies At separate homes in the Klamath River area on California Route 96. found on sunday By car on the driveway west of the Klamath River.
Cooler temperatures and higher humidity, including Monday’s rain, allowed firefighters to build containment lines with hand crews and bulldozers, officials said. However, humidity, thunderstorms, and the resulting high winds combined to create an “unstable atmosphere that could make firefighting conditions more dangerous.” They said in a report on the progress of the fire on Tuesday.
U.S. Forest Service spokesman Mike Lindbury said by phone that conditions began to change on Tuesday afternoon, with clear skies appearing above the fires and a red flag warning being issued.
“It took us a few days to get there and do a pretty good job, but we’re keeping an eye on the situation today because they might push us off the hill.”
Lindberry said the area where the fire was burning was not only “very flammable” but also very difficult to access. “Getting out of these areas can be very difficult. Getting firefighters into the area can be very difficult,” he said.
Brian Nieuwenhuis, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Medford, Oregon, said too much rain can cause debris flows and landslides, putting firefighters at risk.
“Fire activity should continue all week,” he added, although the situation has calmed down somewhat.
The blaze, which was contained at zero percent on Tuesday, is one of 60 large wildfires and fire complexes that have burned more than 1.6 million acres across the United States so far this year. National Interagency Fire CenterIn Siskiyou County, the China 2 and Alex fires, known as the Yeti Complex, along with surrounding lightning strikes, have burned more than 2,400 acres, officials said.
The McKinney wildfires came at a volatile moment for the state, which faced unusually high temperatures along with the Pacific Northwest last week as a heatwave swept the region.
Scorching temperatures and long periods of drought increase the intensity of fires by drying out vegetation and making it easier to catch fire. Analyzes show that human-induced climate change is increasing the likelihood of such extreme heatwaves.
Siskiyou County hit by extreme drought According to the US Drought MonitorMeteorologist Nieuwenhuis said drought stress could kill trees.
“You kill trees,” he added.