Update 8:20 A.M. Emergency area closure footprint decreased for McKinney and Yeti Fires

Emergency area closure footprint decreased for McKinney and Yeti FiresDecreased fire activity and increased containment on the #McKinneyFire and #YetiFire have allowed Klamath National Forest officials to decrease the footprint of the emergency area closure that was implemented on August 3rd by nearly 95,000 acres.

The new area closure is effective now.

The Forest’s goal in shrinking the closure area is to continue to provide for firefighter and public safety while affording users maximum access to public lands.Fire activities continue around the areas of the closure, and equipment working on fire suppression and suppression repair are moving throughout the updated closure area.

The closure affects lands on the Happy Camp/Oak Knoll and Salmon/Scott River Ranger Districts of the Klamath National Forest.

The closure restricts going into or being upon National Forest System lands, any National Forest System road or trail, and entering or using any Developed Recreation Site within the McKinney-Yeti Fire Restricted Areas.

Two separate areas are currently covered by this Order. Those areas include the McKinney and Yeti fires, and the surrounding areas that access the fire footprints.

Developed recreation areas that are included in this Order are as follows:
 McKinney Fire· Ash Creek River Access· Johnson Bar River Access· Cayuse River Access· Skeahan Bar River Access· Blue Heron River Access· Beaver Creek Campground· Sarah Totten Campground· Tree of Heaven Campground· Brown Bear River Access· Humbug OHV Recreation Area· Gottville River AccessYeti Fire · Cold Spring Trailhead· Gordons Ferry River Access· Grider Creek Campground· Grider Creek TrailheadFull details of this Order, including a map, can be viewed at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/klamath/alerts-notices/?aid=74764&fbclid=IwAR2-zK694WRQCyykhQkn3mPkbx0W7hVDVFxUU1YWZNvdMJBCVSsDOl4NQ94.

Only fire personnel are allowed to go into or be upon National Forest land within the emergency closure area. It is unsafe for Forest visitors to be near wildfires due to unpredictable changes in wind, rolling fire debris, poor visibility, and narrow roads busy with emergency vehicle traffic. Forest visitors are encouraged to seek alternative destinations. As conditions change, the Klamath National Forest will continue to update this closure area.Stage One Fire Restrictions remain in effect on the Klamath National Forest. For a full list of fire restrictions and exemptions, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/klamath/alerts-notices/?aid=74644&fbclid=IwAR3ld6DLllsd3C1lM4rKbuO1yvJkvv2QDp99jzMdp0-nYOJfl2WDFtVjtuk to see the Order.

Update: 

Location: Siskiyou County, CA

Size: 60,392 acres

Percent Contained: 95%  

Cause: Under Investigation

Start Date: Friday July 29, 2022 at 2:15pm            

Vegetation: Timber (Litter and Understory), Tall Grass, and Brush

Number of Personnel Assigned: 1,197 

The McKinney Fire remains at 95 percent containment. Firefighters continue to make excellent progress with containment along the entire fire perimeter. An Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) flew the area of the fire using infrared to identify the latitude and longitudes of new hot spots. With the help of the UAS, crews are seeking out those areas and continue with full suppression tactics. The suppression repair process carries on in areas of ground surface disturbance. Examples of disturbed surfaces include hand line and dozer lines.

Crews mitigate the impact of erosion by placing water bars throughout the impacted area. Water bars are shallow channels or raised barriers laid diagonally across the surface of a road or trail to direct water off the line and reroute it into the vegetation to absorb. Firefighters monitor islands of unburned fuel that sit well within the interior. Smoke and heat still exist in those green islands. Air operations is supporting firefighters by cooling the heat that still exists.

WEATHER:

Red Flag Warning in effect Wednesday from 12:00 pm through 11:00 pm for dry lightning. Thunderstorm chances have risen to 30% and are possible through the operational period. Chances for wetting rain have risen to 15%. Strong outflow winds up to 50 mph are possible with any thunderstorm. Heat Advisory in effect for afternoon highs in the low to mid 100s. However, cloud cover from thunderstorms may limit heating to below advisory criteria.

LOCAL ASSISSTANCE CENTER:

A Local Assistance Center (LAC) will be opening at the College of the Siskiyous Rural Health Sciences Institute in Yreka to serve residents impacted by the McKinney Fire. The LAC is a one-stop-shop for recovery assistance. The address is 2001 Campus Drive Yreka, CA. The times of operation are Wednesday August 17, 9 am to 7 pm and Thursday August 18, 9 am to 7 pm.

EVACUATIONS:

Multiple evacuation orders and warnings remain in effect. For current updates on evacuations, visit https://www.facebook.com/SiskiyouCountySheriff and https://www.facebook.com/SiskiyouCountyOES Additional evacuation information and a map can be found on the Zonehaven site at: https://community.zonehaven.com/

Traffic on Highway 96 is limited with piloted traffic between Beaver Creek to Kohl Creek through the fire area.

CURRENT FOREST ORDERS:

Fire restrictions are in effect on the Klamath National Forest. For more information, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/klamath/alerts-notices/

An emergency area is now in effect for the McKinney, Yeti, and Alex Fires. Please refer to the links below for specific details:

Closure Info: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1053941.pdf Closure Map: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1053892.pdf

Pacific Crest Trail Information: https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/closures

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