Evacuations ordered as Head wildfire spreads in northern California

The Head Fire is burning near the location of 2022’s McKinney Fire, which killed four people and destroyed the Klamath River community

An intensifying wildfire in northern California has forced locals to evacuate a nearby town.

Some residents of Siskiyou County, California — just south of Hamburg and the state’s northern border — were ordered to flee their homes as the Head Fire in the nearby Klamath National Forest began threatening the region. The fire was estimated to cover between 3,000 and 4,000 acres, according to local forest authorities.

“The #HeadFire has increased in intensity and rate of spread and has spotted across the Klamath River due to thunderstorm downdrafts in the area,” officials wrote on Facebook just before 8pm PST on Tuesday.

“The evacuation warning has been elevated to an order. PLEASE LEAVE THE AREA IMMEDIATELY.”

The Head Fire is one of 19 fires that ignited in the national forest, according to the Associated Press.

While the Head fire grew into a significant blaze, most of the others remained relatively tiny.

It is burning near the site of the McKinney Fire of 2022, a blaze that ultimately destroyed the community of Klamath River and killed four people.

Both the Head and McKinney fires were tied to severe storms; the Head fire was lit by a lightning strike, and the McKinney fire was spread and fuelled by strong thunderstorms blowing through the region.

There have been no reports of injuries or homes destroyed as of Tuesday evening.

“Evacuation Orders and Warnings have been issued and law enforcement and fire are working to get folks out of the evacuation area,” Rachel Smith, the Klamath National Forest supervisor said in a statement on Facebook.

“If you are in this area, please get out immediately.”

A wildfire burns in Siskiyou County, California after a lightning strike set the forest ablaze (screengrab/Cal Fire)

The Head Fire and the others in the Klamath National Forest are just a few of the blazes burning in parts of California this week, according to local broadcaster KCRA.

The Deep Fire broke out in Shasta County, though it is largely smouldering now.

In Humboldt County, the Lone Pine Fire which began burning in the Willow Creek area was still generating significant smoke on Tuesday.

And a lightning bolt lit the Slide Fire in Tehama County some time on Monday, according to local officials. That fire has already burned at least 60 acres, and has the potential to grow into a much larger blaze.