Single Publication

Location: Siskiyou County, CA
Size: 60,392 acres 
Percent Contained: 95 %
Cause: Under Investigation 

The McKinney Fire remains at 95 percent containment, but some changes will be taking place today. California Interagency Incident Management Team 2, under the direction of Incident Commander Nickie Johnny, working in a unified command with CalFire, has been managing the fire since Aug. 2. California Interagency Incident Management Team 12, under the direction of Incident Commander James Aragon, will be taking over the incident as of 7 am today. Firefighters continue suppression repair efforts and are patrolling throughout the fire perimeter. Crews are paying particular attention to areas of unburned vegetation within the interior of the fire containment lines, which have been producing smoke and heat. Aircraft was brought in to conduct aerial suppression operations on one of these pockets in the southwestern fire area. Three hand crews and a strike team of engines also conducted ground suppression and the “hot spot” posed no threat to the containment lines. Additionally, firefighters have been granted access to the McKinney Creek Road area, and repair work will begin within the next few days. As of Sunday evening, firefighters have constructed 62 miles of containment line by hand, and heavy equipment has constructed 142 miles of containment line. Only two miles of the fire is considered “uncontained” at this time. Forward progression of the fire has stopped, but steep terrain and the abundance of hazard trees are making it difficult for firefighters to perform mop-up in this area. Crews will keep working as safety allows. 
 
WEATHER: Sunny and warm conditions are expected to continue throughout the week, with temperatures in the upper 90s in lower elevations and in the low-to-mid 80s on the ridgetops. West/northwest winds are predicted to be light, with gusts between 18-20 miles-per-hour. LOCAL

ASSISSTANCE CENTER: A Local Assistance Center (LAC) will be opening at the College of the Siskiyous Rural Health Sciences Institute in Yreka to serve residents impacted by the McKinney Fire. The LAC is a one-stop-shop for recovery assistance. The address is 2001 Campus Drive Yreka, CA. The times of operation are Wednesday August 17, 9 am to 7 pm and Thursday August 18, 9 am to 7 pm.  

EVACUATIONS: Multiple evacuation orders and warnings remain in effect. For current updates on evacuations, visit https://www.facebook.com/SiskiyouCountySheriff and https://www.facebook.com/SiskiyouCountyOES Additional evacuation information and a map can be found on the Zonehaven site at: https://community.zonehaven.com/    

A shelter has been established at Karuk Wellness Center at 1403 Kahtishraam, Yreka, CA, 96097. Traffic on Highway 96 is limited with piloted traffic between Beaver Creek to Kohl Creek through the fire area. 

CURRENT FOREST ORDERS: Fire restrictions are in effect on the Klamath National Forest.
For more information, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/klamath/alerts-notices/ An emergency area is now in effect for the McKinney, Yeti, and Alex Fires.
Please refer to the links below for specific details: 
Closure Info: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1047211.pdf 
Closure Map: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1047212.pdf 
Pacific Crest Trail Information: https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/closures