Cause of McKinney Fire remains under investigation, lightning ruled out

SISKIYOU COUNTY, Calif. – Wildfires continue to threaten numerous structures in Northern California.

By far, the largest fire is the McKinney Fire burning west of Yreka. That 55,493-acre wildfire and the 4,912-acre China 2 fire currently threaten nearly 5,000 structures in and around the Klamath National Forest. Both fires started Friday.

Sunday night, much of the McKinney Fire saw rainfall, keeping fire growth minimal. However, it remains active in the Walker Creek area. The southern and eastern edges close to Fort Jones and Yreka showed very little growth, the Forest Service said.

The China 2 Fire west of Seiad Valley and south of Highway 96 didn’t receive any precipitation Sunday but only showed moderate growth due to high humidity.

Even with Sunday night’s weather, vegetation in the area remains extremely dry and the continued threat of thunderstorms remains.

The cause of the China 2 fire has been attributed to lightning. The Forest Service said while the cause of the McKinney Fire remains under investigation, it is “clearly” not lightning-caused.

For the latest updates about evacuations, visit the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page and the Siskiyou County of Emergency Services.