SISKIYOU COUNTY, Ore. – The Shelly Fire in Siskiyou County has grown to 6,261 acres in size.
Nearly 3,000 people have been issued evacuation warnings thus far.
The Klamath National Forest and Cal Fire Siskiyou say the fire expanded rapidly due to extremely hot and dry conditions.
The most significant growth moved both north and east along the Kidder Creek drainage area.
The National Forest says crews will strengthen efforts to execute structure defense plans.
This will be centered around Etna and Fort Jones, as well as other nearby areas.
“The fires are really powerful and we have them every year,” said local Etna business owner Steve Potts. “We have big lightning storms and you’ll have fires everywhere. I think people are kind of resigned that it’s bigger than we are. So you get your small box of things that you know you don’t want to lose. Whether it’s birth certificates or photos. And you kind of always have that ready.”
For those who are displaced by these fires, the Klamath National Forest advises people to visit the Kahtishraam Wellness Center in Yreka.
“The fire started on the third I guess and then the smoke got more intense,” said evacuated Fort Jones resident Tom O’Brien. “We’re cautiously optimistic that we’ll be okay because we’re at the very north end of that fire zone, where the people across the road from us haven’t been evacuated.”
To stay up to date on the latest evacuation orders and warnings, please visit the official Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Facebook page.
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.