California battles worst wildfire this year as flames burn more than 51,000 acres

California is grappling with its worst wildfire this year with more than 51,000 acres scorched and evacuations on the rise.

Chaotic weather threatens to make matters worse. Crews battling the McKinney Fire in Northern California were bracing for thunderstorms and hot, windy conditions that created the potential for further fire growth on Sunday.

The McKinney Fire was out of control in the Klamath National Forest in northern California, with expected thunderstorms a big concern Sunday just south of the Oregon state line, the gate said. – US Forest Service spokesperson, Adrienne Freeman.

“The fuel beds are so dry they can just shoot out of this flash,” Freeman said. “These thunder cells are accompanied by strong, erratic winds that can blow fire in all directions.”

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The fire exploded over more than 80 square miles just two days after erupting in a largely uninhabited area of ​​Siskiyou County.

The blaze torched trees along California’s Highway 96, and the burned remains of a pickup truck lay in a lane of the freeway. Thick smoke blanketed the area and flames burned across the hills within sight of homes.

A horse grazes in a pasture as the McKinney Fire burns in Klamath National Forest, California, July 30, 2022.
(AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A second, smaller fire just to the west, sparked by dry lightning on Saturday, threatened the small town of Seiad. About 400 structures were threatened by the two California fires.

A third fire, which started at the southwest end of the McKinney Fire, triggered evacuation orders for about 500 homes on Sunday, said Courtney Kreider, a spokeswoman for the county sheriff’s office. by Siskiyou. The office said crews had been at the scene of the blaze since Saturday evening, but the blaze on Sunday morning “became active and escaped its containment line.”

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As the McKinney Fire threatened, some residents chose to stay while others obeyed orders to leave.

California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Saturday as the McKinney Fire intensified. The proclamation gives Newsom more flexibility to make emergency response and recovery effort decisions and access federal assistance.

A man runs towards a truck as a wildfire called the McKinney Fire burns in Klamath National Forest, California on July 30, 2022.
(AP Photo/Noah Berger)

California law enforcement knocked on doors in the towns of Yreka and Fort Jones urging residents to get out and evacuate their livestock safely in trailers. Automated calls were also sent to landline telephones as there were areas with no cell phone service.

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The Pacific Coast Trail Association urged hikers to get to the nearest town while the US Forest Service closed a 110-mile section of the trail from Mount Etna’s summit to Mount Ashland Campground in southern Oregon.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.