California battles worst wildfire this year as flames scorch more than 51,000 acres

• McKinney Fire is out of control in northern California’s Klamath National Forest.
• Forecasters braced for thunderstorms and hot, windy conditions that could lead to more fire growth.
• The McKinney Fire has burned more than 51,000 acres so far this year.

This year’s wildfires in California have burned more than 51,000 acres, and evacuations are increasing.

Weather chaos threatens to exacerbate the situation. Crews battling the McKinney Fire in northern California braced for thunderstorms and hot, windy conditions that could lead to more fire growth on Sunday.

The McKinney Fire was raging out of control in northern California’s Klamath National Forest on Sunday, with thunderstorms looming just south of the Oregon state line, according to US Forest Service spokesperson Adrienne Freeman.

“The fuel beds are so dry that they could just erupt from the lightning,” Freeman explained. “These thunder cells are accompanied by gusty, erratic winds that can blow fire in all directions.”

The fire grew to more than 80 square miles in size just two days after erupting in a largely unpopulated area of Siskiyou County.

The fire charred trees along California Highway 96, and the scorched remains of a pickup truck sat in a highway lane. Thick smoke blanketed the area, and flames burned through hillsides near homes.

A second, smaller fire sparked by dry lightning just to the west on Saturday threatened the tiny town of Seiad. The two California fires threatened approximately 400 structures.

According to Courtney Kreider, a spokesperson for the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office, a third fire on the southwest end of the McKinney blaze prompted evacuation orders for approximately 500 homes on Sunday. Crews had been on the scene since late Saturday, but the fire “became active and escaped its containment line” on Sunday morning, according to the office.

As the McKinney Fire raged on, California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency. The proclamation gives Newsom more leeway in making decisions about emergency response and recovery efforts, as well as accessing federal aid.

California law enforcement officers knocked on doors in Yreka and Fort Jones, urging residents to leave and safely evacuate their livestock onto trailers. Because there were areas without cellphone service, automated calls were also sent to land phone lines.

The Pacific Coast Trail Association advised hikers to head to the nearest town, while the US Forest Service closed a 110-mile section of the trail in southern Oregon, from the Etna Summit to the Mt. Ashland Campground.