Northern California wildfires: Where to find updates on air quality, evacuations, and official information

Cal Fire posted on Twitter that a Red Flag Warning is in effect for parts of Siskiyou and Modoc counties from 2 – 11 p.m. Monday for strong gusty winds and low relative humidity. Gusty winds could contribute to fire spread. This is critical fire weather.

Containment on the McKinney Fire was at 60% on Tuesday evening, with fire crews keeping a close eye on changing weather conditions that could make it hard to control the 60,389-acre blaze in Siskiyou County.  

The blaze has virtually wiped out the town of Klamath River. At least four people are confirmed dead. Initial damage assessments Friday showed 132 structures have been destroyed, including 87 homes. Around 4,500 structures remain threatened. 

“Sunday, Monday this week, we have extremely unstable conditions in the atmosphere. Very hot, dry. Very similar to when this fire started,” Dennis Burnes, a fire behavior analyst with the California Interagency Incident Management said during a Saturday morning update on the McKinney Fire. 

Siskiyou County Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue echoed those concerns in a post on Twitter on Saturday morning. 

“The next 2 days are expected to be nearly identical as to when the #McKinney Fire began. We will not get complacent. We’re asking you to have the same mindset. Please be ready to evacuate.” 

Also on Saturday, evacuation orders were issued for the Six Rivers Lightning Complex fire in Humboldt County.

Fire officials identified 12 lightning caused fires on Friday. Crews were able to put out four of the blazes early on. That fire had more than doubled to 1,100 acres as of Sunday morning with no containment. Officials continued to describe it as a “very active emerging incident.”

Evacuation information is at the Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services Facebook page and the Trinity County Office of Emergency Services Facebook page.

On Friday, evacuation warnings expanded for the Yeti and Alex Fire complex burning west of the McKinley Fire near the community of Happy Camp.

Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Siskiyou County over the weekend.  

An evacuation map is available here, and resources for evacuees are listed on the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Facebook page.

In Mariposa County, firefighters continue to gain ground on the Oak Fire burning near Yosemite National Park, and all evacuation orders and advisements have been lifted in populated areas as of Aug. 2. The fire destroyed 193 structures, including 127 homes.

The Oak Fire was 92% contained as of Sunday morning and remained at about 19,000 acres burned.

Check airnow.gov for the latest air quality forecast in your area.