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Firefighters are battling the McKinney Fire, the China2 Fire and the Evans Fire north and south of Highway 96, at Seiad and east to Yreka.
The McKinney Fire is burning in the Oak Knoll Ranger District of the Klamath National Forest, west of the Walker Creek Bridge on the south side of the Klamath River.
As of late Saturday afternoon, the McKinney Fire was about nine miles west of Yreka, according to the Yreka Police Department.
The McKinney Fire started about 2:15 p.m. Friday and as of Saturday afternoon there was zero containment. Highway 96 is closed from Highway 263, about 2 miles west of Interstate 5, to Scott River Road.
The McKinney Fire burned down at least a dozen residences and wildlife was seen fleeing the area to avoid the flames, the Associated Press reported.
The China2 Fire burning near Seiad reached 500 acres Saturday evening, according to Cal Fire. It's not contained.
China2 and the Evans Fire both started Friday night. The two merged on Saturday.
More than 200 people were evacuated in areas threatened by the combined fires.
People who enter an emergency area without authorization are breaking the law, the Yreka Police Department posted on social media.
Police also warned they are watching for looters in evacuated areas.
"California law defines the crime of looting as taking advantage of a state of emergency to commit burglary, grand theft or petty theft," the department posted. "Looting and entry into the evac zone will NOT be tolerated and will be handled accordingly by all our officers."
Residents who need information or assistance can call police dispatch at 530-841-2300. For emergencies, call 911.
Meanwhile, pollution from wildfire smoke is spreading from Dunsmuir to Southern Oregon, according to the National Weather Service in Medford. People should expect a lot of smoke at ground level throughout the day Sunday until at least Monday morning. "The most hazardous and unhealthy smoke will be from the Siskiyou Mountains in Oregon southward."
Firefighters are on their way to the 20-acre Shackleford Fire, which started Saturday evening.
That fire is burning near Back Meadows Road and Big Meadows Creek, about 11 miles west of Fort Jones, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Meanwhile the 30,000 acre McKinney Fire burning to the north and northwest of Yreka is 1% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The Yreka Police Department went door-to-door in the evacuation zone, alerting residents of bus service to the evacuation center in Weed.
Residents who need information about their evacuation status can also call police dispatch at 530-841-2300.
Parts of western Yreka remains under and evacuation order, the Yreka Police Department said. The rest of the town is under an evacuation warning.
Scroll down to the 8:10 p.m. update for more evacuation information.
Freelance journalist Skip Descant contributed to this report from Yreka.
Light winds and gusts are pushing the McKinney Fire south and southeast toward Yreka, according to the National Weather Service in Medford.
Evening winds are reaching up to 15 mph with gusts up to 20 mph, said meteorologist Ryan Sandler.
Those winds could calm down further late Saturday night into Sunday morning, but conditions are very dry, Sandler said.
Dry thunderstorms in Northern Siskiyou County are igniting additional fires, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
The 20-acre Shackleford Fire started 11 miles west of Fort Jones, the Forest Service said. As of 9 p.m. there were no evacuations or closures in the area.
Fort Jones residents reported on social media there was some light rain in the area earlier in the evening.
Air pollution from wildfire smoke is at unhealthy levels from Klamath River to Yreka, south to Mount Shasta, Weed and Dunsmuir, and north to Hornbrook, according to the EPA's AirNow. People should stay out of wildfire smoke when possible — especially the elderly, children and people with respiratory illness, heart disease or other health issues.
The Yreka Police Department issued an evacuation order for Yreka residents west of Fairchild Street and Shasta Street, including Oakridge Mobile Estates.
"This area is being evacuated due to proximity to the fire and the need for additional time necessary for this this group of residents to safely evacuate," police said.
Police also issued an evacuation warning for all of Yreka west of Interstate 5. Residents should prepare to leave if the warning is changed to an order.
The evacuation zone in Yreka is currently west of Fairchild Medical Center, Yreka City Manager Jason Ledbetter said. The rest of the city is in an evacuation warning zone.
For an updated evacuation zone map go to bit.ly/3zk4B6R.
An new evacuation shelter is opening at the Weed Community Center, 161 E. Lincoln Ave. in Weed, Ledbetter said. Officials are organizing bus service now "which gives us time to help with lift assist rather than at 2 a.m., in the dark."
The evacuation shelter at Kahtishraam Wellness Center in Yreka is closing, police said.
Animal Sheltering is available at the following locations:
Photos of animals with no known owner found in evacuation zones will be posted at bit.ly/3JgopwD
Freelance journalist Skip Descant contributed to this report from Yreka.
Zonehaven AWARE | Find your Evacuation Zone now
Public Information Officer Courtney Kreider of the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office reports the Klamath River Community Hall has been destroyed by the McKinney Fire.
"Ol’ Glory and a burning propane tank are all that’s left at what was the Klamath River Community Hall. Firefighters are still performing structure protection in this area along HWY 96," Kreider said on Facebook.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in Siskiyou County due to the McKinney Fire.
The governor's office says the wildland fire has forced nearly 2,000 residents to evacuate. The blaze has destroyed homes and threatened critical infrastructure, according to the governor's statement.
Another 200 western Siskiyou County residents are under evacuation warnings due to the China2 and Evans fires. Those two fires merged Saturday for a combined 300 acres.
Proclaiming a state of emergency helps local government access federal aid and unlocks state resources.
"This proclamation also triggers the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, allowing firefighting resources from other states to assist California crews in battling the fires," the statement says.
The Yreka Police Department is passing on a message from the city of Yreka's Public Water Division asking residents to stop "all outdoor and unnecessary indoor water usage" at this time.
"Public Water Division has ordered all outdoor and unnecessary indoor water usage suspended for emergency tank reserves and to maintain water pressure in the City. Your vigilance and cooperation is appreciated," the post reads.
Earlier Saturday, Yreka City Manager Jason Ledbetter said the city's emergency personnel are working with the Siskiyou County Office of Emergency Services to provide water during the McKinney Fire.
"The city is providing water to all necessary water and fire trucks. We are working with our local partners for fire support,” Ledbetter said.
The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office is using Facebook to clarify that Yreka and Hornbrook are not under mandatory evacuation right now.
"The SCSO Dispatch is receiving numerous calls regarding the evacuation status of the City of Yreka and the community of Hornbrook. There are NO mandatory evacuations in the City of Yreka or the Hornbrook area at this time," the sheriff's office said.
A number of zones on the east side of the McKinney Fire are under evacuation warnings. Check the Zone Haven map for mandatory evacuation areas and evacuation warnings.
"Fire activity is not slowing and residents in any areas near the evacuation zones need to be prepared to leave immediately," the sheriff's office said.
The Yreka Police Department says on its Facebook page that smoke is hitting Yreka from the McKinney Fire but that doesn't mean the fire is impending.
"Smoke is rolling in from the fire. The smoke is NOT proof that the fire is imminent," police said.
"Please refrain from passing along information that has NOT come directly from CalOES, Siskiyou Sheriff or YPD," the post reads.
The McKinney Fire is estimated at between 30,000 to 40,000 acres, Klamath National Forest spokeswoman Caroline Quintanilla said.
She said fire conditions are changing rapidly and that firefighters are putting a priority on the evacuation of residents and making sure everyone is safe.
Containment remained at zero percent mid-afternoon Saturday.
"At this point, we don't have any more accurate mapping. We're not even working on containment at this point. We're working on catching up to the fire and getting people evacuated and making sure that everybody is safe," she said from the U.S. Forest Service office in Yreka.
The Pacific Crest Trail Association was telling hikers in western Siskiyou County on Saturday to evacuate to the nearest town due to the McKinney Fire and the combined China2 and Evans fires.
"The weather conditions, including lots of lightning, are leading to extreme fire behavior and dangerous conditions," the association said on its website.
The group was spreading the word that the Forest Service had closed a 110-mile section of the Pacific Crest Trail from the Etna Summit to the Mt. Ashland Campground in southern Oregon.
Two other fires burning in the Klamath National Forest — the China2 Fire and the Evans Fire — have burned together for an estimated size of 300 to 350 acres, forest officials said
The blaze is 2 to 3 miles west of Seiad.
"Access to this fire is difficult, due to very rugged terrain," authorities said.
As of late Saturday morning, four engines, two crews and miscellaneous personnel are assigned to the fire.
"Resources are limited however because the majority of available personnel are aggressively working to slow the fast-moving McKinney Fire," fire officials said.
The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office has issued fresh evacuation orders and warnings, including an evacuation order for the Hawkinsville area north of Yreka.
These evacuation warnings are for the east end of the McKinney Fire for Yreka Zones, near or across Interstate 5:
Winds from late-evening thunderstorms caused the McKinney Fire to grow significantly overnight, causing the blaze to expand to 18,000 acres, according to Klamath National Forest officials.
The fire grew on the north and south sides as air tankers dropped fire retardant.
Very hot temperatures are in the forecast and a Red Flag Warning is in effect for lightning, fire officials said.
"Fire managers are expecting a very dynamic day on the fire as predicted weather is expected to be problematic for the firefighters," officials said.
Crews have had to shift from trying to hold the fire's perimeter to concentrate on evacuations and defend structures.
More firefighting resources are being dispatched to the area. Several bulldozers were being sent to McAdams Road and Highway 3 on Saturday morning.
A California Incident Management Team was in Yreka on Saturday for briefings and will assume control on Sunday morning, officials said.
The McKinney Fire has grown to 18,000 acres overnight, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
There's a Red Flag Warning for lightning in the area as firefighters deal with very hot temperatures.
The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office issued evacuation orders and evacuation warnings for areas threatened by the 30-acre China Fire, burning west of the 300-acre McKinney Fire:
An evacuation order is in place for Zone 1114, which includes:
An evacuation warning is in place for Zone 1117, including
People evacuating can bring their pets and small animals to Rescue Ranch at 2216 E Oberlin Road in Yreka.
A place to evacuate large animals is pending, according to the Siskiyou County Office of Emergency Services. Go to at facebook.com/SiskiyouCountyOES/ for updates.
Firefighters in the area report smoke coming from the Klamath River Post Office, and trees down across the road near Walker Bridge.
People on social media reported a fire tornado occurred around midnight in the area of the McKinney Fire.
The McKinney Fire is burning near Scott River Road.
Firefighters reported power lines are down near the Oaks Mobile Home and RV Park across from the Klamath River Post Office.
Highway 96 is closed from Scott River Road in Hamburg to where it intersects Highway 263 about 8 miles north of Yreka, according to the California Department of Transportation.
Parts of Highway 96 between Seiad and Yreka are closed due to the McKinney Fire burning on both sides of the highway, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Motorists should avoid the area.
The China Peak Fire and the Evans Fire are also burning near Seiad, the Forest Service said.
The cause of the fires hasn't been reported, but thunderstorms are moving through the area, the Siskiyou County Office of Emergency Services said.
Firefighters are on the way to two more fires that ignited near Seiad, according to the U.S. Forest Service. One fire is in the area of Evans Peak.
The other fire is in the China Peak area and has burned about 30 acres.
The McKinney Fire is spreading, according to the U.S. Forest Service. It jumped Highway 96 and is pushing north, east and west.
The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office issued additional evacuation orders for areas previously under evacuation warnings. People in the following areas must leave immediately, the sheriff's office said.
Residents can check an updated zone map if they don't know their zone at bit.ly/3zHQidG.
Help is available for evacuees:
People who can evacuate west can go to a temporary evacuation point at the Seiad Valley Fire Hall, 44601 Highway 96, the sheriff's office said.
A 24-hour call line for residents who need shelter from the fire is open at 530-340-3539, the Siskiyou County Office of Emergency Service announced.
The fire is spreading east, according to the U.S. Forest Service
The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office issued additional evacuation orders for people in zones SIS-1120 B, SIS-1010 and SIS-1013,
This includes residents in the Horse Creek area.
People can check an updated zone map at bit.ly/3zHQidG.
Friday evening, firefighters are battling a 300-acre blaze burning in the Klamath National Forest west of Yreka.
The McKinney Fire started around 2:30 p.m. southwest of the Klamath River along Highway 96 and McKinney Creek Road, according to the California Department of Transportation.
The area is about 25 miles west of Yreka, and about 10 miles east of Hamburg,
By 8:30 p.m., the fire had spread to the Dona Creek area, east of Horse Creek, south of Highway 96, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office issued evacuation orders for residents and visitors on the south side of the Klamath River from Gottsville to Scott River Road, including communities along the Klamath River and Walker Road. These are zones 1120 and 1123.
The sheriff's office issued an evacuation warning for neighboring areas including those north of Highway 96 at Hamburg, McKinley Mountain and Indian Creek Baldy. These are zones 3502, 3505 and 1120-B. This includes Humbug Creek Road, Dowling Gulch and Schoolhouse Gulch areas. These areas should be ready to evacuate if needed.
People evacuating can go west to a temporary evacuation point at the Seiad Valley Fire Hall, 44601 Highway 96 in Seiad Valley, the sheriff's office said.
A 24-hour call line for residents who need shelter from the fire is open at 530-340-3539, the Siskiyou County Office of Emergency Service announced.
"Several helicopters and air tankers are on scene," the sheriff's office said. More crews are on the way.
Thunderstorms in the area are helping the fire spread, the Forest Service said.
Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and entertainment stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica in the Get Out! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.