A wildfire is being blamed for scorching more than 55,000 acres across northern California. The McKinney Fire, which erupted Friday, is now the state's largest wildfire of 2022, burning more than 55,000 acres as thousands of residents evacuate.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said the blaze was zero percent contained as of Monday morning.
The wildfire is spreading in Siskiyou County, the northernmost county in the state. It started Friday afternoon and has spread to roughly 55,493 acres, officials said Monday.
Governor Gavin Newsom declared an emergency Saturday as the fire evolved into the largest wildfire in California this year. The proclamation helps access federal aid and unlock additional state resources.
Newsom said the fire was "intensified and spread by dry fuels, extreme drought conditions, high temperatures, winds and lightning storms."
The wildfire has destroyed homes, forced the evacuation of nearly 2,000 residents, and is responsible for at least two deaths. According to the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office, two people were found dead in a vehicle that burned in the fire's path Sunday.
Nearly 5,000 structures are threatened by the fire, according to the National Fire Service. While structure damage has been observed, numbers and locations have not yet been confirmed. Officials said assessments will begin when it is safe to access the fire area.
A cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
Much of the area saw rainfall overnight Sunday, keeping fire growth minimal. Officials expect the fire will continue spreading in all directions. Vegetation in the area is extremely dry and the continued threat of thunderstorms and associated strong, erratic winds could result in increased fire behavior with a "probability of ignition of 100%,"officials said.
The area also remains under a Red Flag Warning for a threat of dry lightning and strong winds associated with thunder cells. These conditions can be extremely dangerous for firefighters, as winds can be erratic and extremely strong, causing fire to spread in any direction.
CAL FIRE and Cal OES Fire and Rescue personnel are working with state, local and federal agencies in response to the fire.
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