The blaze, called the Mill Fire, was burning with a “dangerous rate of spread” in Siskiyou County, according to an update posted by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as CalFire. Hundreds of homes were in danger. Susan Koopman, an employee with CalFire’s Siskiyou County unit, said in a phone call that the fire had burned at least 500 acres. A temporary evacuation center was opened at the fairgrounds in Yreka. (MORE: Southern California Wildfires Burn As Heat Wave Intensifies) The evacuation orders affected thousands of people in Weed, Lake Shastina and Edgewood. The area is to the west of Mt. Shasta and about 200 miles north of Sacramento. The call to evacuate went out at 1:29 p.m. PDT. Red flag warnings were issued for the region through at least 11 p.m. Friday due to hot, dry and windy conditions. Temperatures were in the 90s with about 14% humidity and winds gusting as high as 40 mph. All of Siskiyou County is in what is considered extreme drought, according to the latest U.S. drought monitor report updated Tuesday. The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
