The vehicle was located along Doggett Creek Road off Highway 96, west of the community of Klamath River, a statement from the Siskiyou sheriff's office said. No other information was immediately available.
The McKinney Fire, first reported Friday afternoon, had grown to 55,493 acres on Monday morning with 0% containment. Hot temperatures and lightning in the forecast have caused red flag warnings and hazardous weather conditions for the Yreka area.
Fire crews protected structures from the McKinney Fire in a large rural area of Siskiyou County, west of Interstate 5 over the weekend. The fire, which started after several days of intense lightning storms has prompted evacuations in areas of Yreka west of I-5. The fire showed little progress towards Yreka on Sunday, according to officials. Evacuation orders spanned a variety of unincorporated communities along Highway 96, including Klamath River, Hamburg and Seiad Valley. Evacuation orders for Siskiyou County can be found here.
A temporary evacuation shelter has been set up at the Weed Community Center at 161 E Lincoln Ave, Weed, CA 96094.
New lightning fires were still being detected on Sunday with crews responding to multiple other fires in the area. The 1,652-acre China 2 Fire is burning west of Seiad Valley and is 0% contained.
By Sunday afternoon, officials with Siskiyou County did not provide information about structures burned or damaged in the fires.
The region remained in a red flag warning through Sunday night with the threat of dry lightning and strong wind. “These conditions can be extremely dangerous for firefighters, as winds can be erratic and extremely strong, causing fire to spread in any direction,” according to the McKinney Fire description on Inciweb.
Meteorologist Brad Schaaf with the National Weather Service Medford office said thunderstorms are expected each afternoon and evening in the area around the McKinney Fire through Monday. The weather pattern creates the possibility of gusty wind that could continue to drive the fire. But, he said, wildfire smoke could also prevent new thunderstorms.
"The smoke could inhibit some of the instability, meaning that the thunderstorms may not have a chance to really get going in areas with a lot of smoke," Schaaf said.
Persistent drought conditions have caused extremely dry fuels and resulted in rapid fire spread.
In addition to Cal Fire, the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s office announced on Sunday that they were mobilizing structural task forces to assist with the McKinney Fire. The task forces of firefighters, engines and water tenders were expected to arrive in California on Sunday afternoon.
A red flag warning will remain in place in the Yreka area through Sunday night. The National Weather Service has a fire weather watch in place through Monday night.
The Pacific Crest Trail Association and Forest Service announced the closure of a 110-mile section of the popular hiking trail on Saturday, urging hikers in the area to evacuate to the nearest town. The closure stretches from Etna Summit to Mt. Ashland, across the Oregon border.
Dogs, cats and livestock found around the perimeter of the McKinney Fire are being kept at several locations in Siskiyou County. Found animals are listed on the Siskiyou County animal control website.
Smoke from the McKinney Fire, which is burning approximately 10 miles from the Oregon border, produced poor air quality in the Rogue Valley. The air quality index was listed as “unhealthy” for Ashland on Sunday and “unhealthy for sensitive groups” in Medford.
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