Single Publication

Along the northwestern portion of the McKinney Fire, much of the fire has burned in a variety pattern, creating less severity in that area. Crews continue their mop-up operations; securing and evaluating primary and secondary lines and working to achieve more fireline depth. The 40% of fire that is contained continues to be patrolled as firefighters progress about 100 feet from their line inward. Several interior islands of vegetation ignited leading to multiple group torching observations, but this was no threat to current containment lines. As the fire progresses east, road systems are expected to help limit fire spread. With the steep terrain and the fire backing downhill, the concern for potential rollout that could challenge current established containment lines remains on the forefront of firefighters’ minds.

Firefighters are keeping their heads on a swivel with the red flag warning in effect, expecting periods of critical weather conditions across northern California. This warning impacts fire suppression efforts as the hot and dry afternoons, along with winds, could make control efforts difficult. If there is a thunderstorm, outflow winds could contribute to quick fire spread. This warning is in place until Tuesday evening. Smoke may limit air operations until the inversion clears this afternoon.

The Smokey Fire is at 75% containment and remains at 34 acres. Crews are working on mop-up operations around their containment line and working to secure the entire perimeter of the fire.

COMMUNITY MEETING:

A community meeting is being planned for tonight, August 8, 2022, in Fort Jones, CA at the Scott Valley Junior High School starting at 7:00 p.m. The address is 237 Butte Street, Fort Jones, CA, 96032. The meeting will also be livestreamed on https://bit.ly/McKinneyFireYouTube and the CAL FIRE Siskiyou Unit Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CALFIRESKU for those not able to attend in person.

Questions desired to be answered are appreciated in advance and can be sent to 2022.mckinney@firenet.gov

WEATHER: Temperatures will be 97-107 degrees in the lower elevations and 87-95 in higher. Red flag warning in effect with relative humidity reading low at 8-13%. Winds from the south/southwest are expected to reach 8-12 mph with gusts up to 25 mph in high elevations.

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. Highway 96 remains closed 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/  

A forest closure 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