SACRAMENTO, Calif. — McKinney fire evacuation orders in Yreka and Hawkinsville were reduced to warnings Wednesday afternoon, allowing residents to go home after rain dampened the blaze Tuesday evening.
The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office and Yreka Police Department announced the reduction on social media at 3:50 p.m. Pacific time on Wednesday. All other evacuation orders and warnings remain in place.
The U.S. Forest Service on Wednesday morning reported the McKinney fire at 57,519 acres, or 90 square miles, with containment at 0%. But the blaze slowed significantly after a downpour soaked the fire Tuesday night, turning first responders’ attention to mudslides.
In a news release Wednesday, Yreka Police Chief Mark Gilman wrote that he believed that downgrading the evacuation orders “is the right thing to do, for now,” given the rain. But he warned residents to remain vigilant, especially given an ongoing red flag warning and a weather outlook that “is not as we hoped.”
“We all saw how fast the fire grew on the first night, and we want to be prepared if that happens again,” Gilman wrote. “Please don’t treat this as a full opening. There is still a danger to Yreka.”
The McKinney fire ignited Friday afternoon in Klamath National Forest and grew explosively over the weekend amid thunderstorms and heavy winds.
At least four people have died in the fire. Two were found Saturday in a burned-out vehicle along a residential driveway, and two others were discovered by search crews Monday at separate homes. All three residences were along Highway 96.
More than 1,800 personnel are assigned to the McKinney Fire, according to the Forest Service.
———
