The McKinney Fire was burning out of control in Northern California’s Klamath National Forest as patchy thunderstorms swept through the area just south of the Oregon state line, U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Adrienne Freeman said. “The fuel beds are so dry and they can just explode from that lightning,” he said. “These lightning strikes come with gusty winds that can blow fire in any direction. The fire has exploded in size to more than 80 square miles (207 square kilometers) just two days after it erupted in a largely unpopulated area of Siskiyou County, according to an incident report Sunday. The cause was under investigation. A second, smaller fire just to the west sparked by dry lightning on Saturday threatened the tiny town of Seiad, Freeman said. About 400 homes were threatened by the two fires in California. In Montana, a wildfire that started in grasslands near the town of Elmo has grown to more than 11 square miles (28 square kilometers) after moving into forest. Temperatures in western Montana could soar to 96 degrees (36 Celsius) by Sunday afternoon with strong winds, the National Weather Service said. About 200 miles (320 km) south, Idahoans were under evacuation orders Saturday as the Elk Fire in the Solomon-Challis National Forest charred more than 67.5 square miles (174.8 square kilometers) of timberland near city of Solomon. It was 17% contained on Saturday. California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Saturday as the McKinney wildfire intensified. The proclamation allows Newsom greater flexibility to make emergency response and recovery effort decisions and access federal aid. California law enforcement knocked on doors in the town of Yreka Fort Jones to urge residents to get out and safely evacuate their livestock to trailers. Automated calls were also sent to landlines because there were areas without cell phone service. The Pacific Coast Trail Association urged hikers to reach the nearest town, while the US Forest Service closed a 110-mile (177 km) section of the trail from the summit of Etna to Mt. Ashland Campground in southern Oregon. In western Montana, the Elmo Fire wind forced evacuations of homes and livestock as it ran through grass and timber. The National Interagency Fire Center estimated it could take nearly a month to contain the fire. A section of Highway 28 between Hot Springs and Elmo was closed due to heavy smoke, according to the Montana Department of Transportation.
