2 people killed as Mill Fire rages in Northern California
Within a few hours on Friday, the Mill Fire exploded in size, prompting evacuation orders in a Northern California county and closing portions of Highway 97.
A new wildfire in Northern California burned more than 900 acres in just hours on Sept. 2.
A rapidly growing wildfire that ravaged parts of Northern California over the weekend killed two people, Siskiyou County Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue said.
He announced the fatalities on Sunday afternoon during a community meeting at an elementary school north of Weed, a city in Northern California and near where the Mill Fire originated on Friday.
Firefighters were still working to contain the fire that triggered evacuation orders in Siskiyou County over the weekend. As of Wednesday, the fire had scorched 3,935 acres.
Officials said they were uncertain when people can return to their homes or when power would be restored to the rural town, according to The Associated Press. As of Sunday afternoon, the evacuation orders and warnings were lifted in only a handful of zones.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for Siskiyou County on Friday, adding that the state also secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant for the county.
"[The grant will] help ensure the availability of vital resources to suppress â¯the fire, which has caused civilian injuries and power outages, destroyed homes and forced thousands of residents to evacuate," The Office of Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement.
The blaze was 65% contained, according to Cal Fire.
Dave Rodgers surveys his home, destroyed by the Mill Fire, on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022, in Weed, Calif. Rodgers, who lived in the house his entire life, was able to take an elderly neighbor with him as he fled the fast-moving blaze but has not been able to find his two dogs that were left behind. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Video from the Montague Fire Department showed the Mill Fire burning buildings along Highway 97 as the firefighters raced to the scene. The air was thick with smoke, and several homes and structures were already up in flames. The portion of Highway 97 that had been closed down due to the fire has since been reopened, but officials warned that roads off the highway within the fire perimeter were still closed.
By Sunday afternoon, Cal Fire had determined about 50 single structures had been destroyed by the fire overall, with an additional 411 buildings still threatened.
Smoke rising from the Mill Fire near Weed, California. (Twitter/ Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office)
Siskiyou and Modoc counties, both in Northern California, were under a red flag warning on Friday with dry air and windy conditions promoting the rapid spread of fire. With an excessive heat watch and heat advisory in parts of Siskiyou issued for Tuesday through Wednesday, the area won't see a break from the heat soon either.
A heat wave in the West is forecast to send temperatures soaring past 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the coming days, bringing additional heat risks to those evacuating.
"Unfortunately, Mother Nature will provide no relief for firefighting efforts in Northern California into at least the weekend," AccuWeather Meteorologist Reneé Duff said. "Although winds are not expected to be at troublesome levels over the next few days, extreme temperatures and parched conditions will contribute to an environment ripe for continued wildfire growth. High temperatures will remain near the century mark through the week, perhaps only dipping down to near 90 by the end of next weekend."
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