Smoke from the McKinney Fire rises on Friday evening, not long after it was first reported. Klamath National Forest photo
The first big fire of the season in Northern California expanded to more than 80 square miles over the last 24 hours northwest of Yreka, Calif.
First reported on Friday afternoon, the McKinney Fire is burning in timber, tall grass and brush with extreme fire behavior, including short crown runs, spotting and uphill runs.
The fire is burning to within a half-dozen miles of Interstate 5.
Firefighters are bracing for lightning storms Sunday and Monday that are expected to bring 30-50 mph outflow winds. The chance of ignition is up to 100 percent.
Smoke from the fire, about 250 miles northwest of Gardnerville, is trending due west across the northern Great Basin, with no major impact on Carson Valley, according to fire.air.now
Expansion of the Oak Fire, which sent a plume 100 miles north of the Valley creating unhealthy conditions on July 24, has been slowed to a crawl as firefighters build a line around two-thirds of the blaze.
Firefighters are estimating 182 structures were lost in the Oak Fire, which cost $38.6 million to fight.
The fire was first reported July 22 and quickly expanded a dozen miles west of Yosemite.
Firefighters expect to have the Washburn Fire, burning on the western edge of Yosemite National Park since July 7, contained today.
