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2 found dead in car as crews battle largest California wildfire
The McKinney fire raging across northern California has now left two dead.
The blaze, which started on Friday, has now reached over 55,000 acres — larger than Washington, DC
Evacuations have been ordered for a large swath of Siskiyou County, including parts of Yreka, the county seat, with a population of 8,000.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency, and the blaze remains completely uncontained.
Five miles to the south, the Meamber Fire erupted on Sunday night and has scorched 40 acres. New large fires are also burning in Oregon, Nebraska and Montana – as continued fires burning Idaho, California, Alaska and elsewhere.
The 2022 wildfire season is turning out especially powerful, with six times the size of Rhode Island burned since 1 January.
Wildfires are expected to grow worse in the coming decades as the climate crisis makes conditions in many parts of the planet hotter and drier — two crucial elements for intense blazes.
The western US is currently experiencing a decades-long “megadrought” fuelled by the climate crisis that has dried out vegetation and created near-ideal conditions for fire growth.
Wildfires are pushing smoke around and damaging air quality throughout the Pacific Northwest
Ethan Freedman1 August 2022 16:39
Firefighters wait under a tree as they battle the McKinney Fire
(REUTERS)
Ethan Freedman1 August 2022 16:33
The McKinney Fire remains vastly uncontained as it sweeps through the Klamath National Forest in northern California. Since starting, the blaze has jumped over State Route 96 and crept closer to the city of Yreka
Ethan Freedman1 August 2022 16:26
Everywhere is on fire. Here’s why the climate crisis is to blame
Everywhere is on fire. Here’s why the climate crisis is to blame
Heat and drought are combining to create the conditions for dangerous wildfires around the world
Ethan Freedman1 August 2022 16:13
The McKinney fire is just the latest climate-related disaster to strike the US.
At the end of the last week, devastating flooding hit parts of eastern Kentucky, killing at least 30 people with more deaths expected.
Intense heat also hit the Pacific Northwest, which normally has mostly cool, seasonable temperatures, leaving at least seven people dead in Oregon.
Wildfires, heatwaves and flash floods are all expected to become more common in many parts of the world as greenhouse gases continue to heat up the planet.
Ethan Freedman1 August 2022 16:06
McKinney fire reaches 55,000 acres
The McKinney Fire has reached 55,000 acres as of Monday morning, officials say, with continued growth expected over the next couple of days
Ethan Freedman1 August 2022 15:57
Footage from Saturday shows just how quickly the McKinney fire erupted, reaching 18,000 acres overnight. The blaze is now more than 50,000 acres and growing.
Ethan Freedman1 August 2022 15:55
The McKinney fire is sending a huge plume of smoke over northern California and Oregon
The McKinney Fire (located in the red circle) is sending tons of smoke out into Oregon
(AirNow.gov)
Ethan Freedman1 August 2022 15:41
A kitten who survived the McKinney Fire hides among rocks in the Klamath National Forest
(AFP via Getty Images)
Ethan Freedman1 August 2022 15:23
The Elmo Fire in Montana has expanded to nearly 13,000 acres – 20 square miles – overnight, with “critical fire weather” expected today
Ethan Freedman1 August 2022 15:16
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