Evacuation warnings were in place in for parts of north and west Yreka by Saturday afternoon; areas closer to the fire, which is burning in the Klamath National Forest near the Oregon border, were under evacuation orders. In a sign of its extreme behavior, the wildfire sent a 50,000 foot pyrocumulonimbus cloud — a plume generated by intensely burning fires — into the air, pushing smoke high above the clouds, climate scientist Daniel Swain noted on Twitter. On Saturday, officials said firefighters and air resources were continuing an “aggressive extended attack” on the fire, but that the cumulus clouds in the area “have potential to exacerbate fire behavior.” No information is available on the cause of the fire. The McKinney fire in Siskiyou County seen at around 7:15 a.m. Saturday from the Antelope Mountain Yreka 1 observation camera. Cal Fire Remarkable satellite imagery this AM in NorCal/OR. #McKinneyFire exploded last night, generating massive pyrocumulonimbus cloud ~50,000 ft tall (!!). You can see smoke at two different heights: most in troposphere, but some (possibly) injected into stratosphere (!). #CAwx #CAfire pic.twitter.com/Ri7IKcsnk8 — Daniel Swain (@Weather_West) July 30, 2022 On Saturday afternoon, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Medford, Ore., which is the forecast office for Siskiyou County, said that there thunderstorms could develop over the fire into the late afternoon and evening. The area around the fire was under a fire weather watch through Monday as abundant lightning was expected over dry fuels. “Fire managers are expecting a very dynamic day on the fire as predicted weather is expected to be problematic for the firefighters,” an incident update said. Crews from multiple agencies are battling the flames. Firefighters from the U.S. Forest Service are currently in charge, but a California Incident Management Team, which coordinates agencies like the Forest Service and Cal Fire, was scheduled to take over Sunday morning. Danielle Echeverria is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @DanielleEchev
title: “Mckinney Fire In Siskiyou County Explodes To Over 18 000 Acres Overnight " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-20” author: “Denise Zabawa”
Evacuation orders were extended in west Yreka through Saturday night, with evacuation warnings in effect for all residents of the city west of Interstate 5. The governor’s office had estimated earlier Saturday afternoon that about 2,000 people had been ordered to evacuate because of the fire. Officials said storms and unpredictable winds in the area have made it difficult to determine the trajectory of the fire, which is burning in the Klamath National Forest near the Oregon border. “We still have storms in the area and that means lightning and erratic winds. I don’t think we’re expecting a lot of rain,” Caroline Quintanilla, public information officer for the Klamath Nation Forest, said Saturday afternoon. “Dry lightning is cause for concern.” The fire was 1 percent contained by Saturday afternoon, and weather warnings were in effect for the area Sunday and Monday. “It’s been a crazy time period,” Yreka resident Kiko Gomez said by phone Saturday afternoon. “I feel a little nervous, not only about myself but also about others.” Gomez, who left Yreka Saturday night, said after living in the area for more than a decade, this is the closest a fire has ever been. In a sign of its extreme behavior, the fire sent a 50,000-foot cloud of pyrocumulonimbus — a plume created by intensely burning wildfires — into the air, pushing smoke high above the clouds, climatologist Daniel Swain noted on Twitter. Smoke from the fire was blowing to the northeast and was not expected to affect the Bay Area. Siskiyou County Supervisor Brandon Criss, whose district is east of Yreka, said he has friends in town who are getting ready to leave. He said he could smell the thick smoke at his home in Dorris, just south of the Oregon border. “The fire has grown exponentially in the last short period of time,” he said. He added that the Board of Supervisors will likely declare a state of emergency in the county at its meeting Tuesday. There is no information on the cause of the fire. A state of emergency declaration by Newsom’s office will help cut red tape and expedite resources to the area, possibly including from other states. Notable satellite images this AM in NorCal/OR. The #McKinneyFire erupted last night, creating a massive ~50,000 foot (!!) ash cloud. You can see smoke at two different heights: most in the troposphere, but some (probably) injected into the stratosphere (!). #CAwx #CAfire pic.twitter.com/Ri7IKcsnk8 — Daniel Swain (@Weather_West) July 30, 2022 The area around the fire was under fire until Monday as lightning was expected over dry vegetation. Two additional fires in Siskiyou County — the China 2 and Evans fires — are also prompting evacuation warnings for more than 200 residents. The two flames joined earlier today and have burned more than 300 acres. Crews of many services are fighting the flames. Firefighters from the U.S. Forest Service are currently in charge, but a California Incident Management Team, which coordinates agencies such as the Forest Service and Cal Fire, was scheduled to take over Sunday morning. Siskiyou County Supervisor Ed Valenzuela, who represents Mount Shasta, said even though he’s miles from the fire, he can see the plumes of smoke from his backyard. “Hopefully with the weather easing they’ll be able to deal with it,” he said. “This is not the first rodeo. We went through fires.” Danielle Echeverria and Emma Talley are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: [email protected] [email protected] Twitter: @DanielleEchev @EmmaT332
