8/1/22 - Fires Continue To Explode In Northern California

A new fire in northern California could become the state's largest this year and it is zero contained.

A wildfire just south of Oregon's state line exploded to over 50,000 acres on Sunday, becoming California's largest fire this year just one week after the previous record was broken.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, the fire was at just 300 acres Friday night but had grown to 1,468 acres as of Sunday. 

The McKinney Fire erupted Friday in the Klamath National Forest and quickly burned out of control. It remained 0% contained as of Sunday afternoon, according to CalFire – a day after California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency.

The fire was first reported at 2:38 p.m. Friday near Highway 96 and McKinney Creed Road, southwest of the Klamath River. The incident is about 15 miles south of the Oregon border.

"Abundant" lightning, gusty winds, high temperatures and low relative humidity all pose threats to firefighters and could further intensify the fire's behavior, the U.S. Forest Service said.

“The fuel beds are so dry and they can just erupt from that lightning," Forest Service spokesperson Adrienne Freeman said. “These thunder cells come with gusty erratic winds that can blow fire in every direction.”

The McKinney Fire was threatening the town of Yreka City, putting about 2,000 residents under evacuation orders. New lightning fires were still being detected in the area, too, according to the forest service.