US: California wildfire crosses into Oregon July 8 /update 4

Event

The Klamathon Fire in northern California spread across the border into parts of Oregon overnight July 8-9. As of the morning (local time) of Monday, July 9, the fire has burned 14,260 hectares (35,250 acres) of land and is 30 percent contained. At least three firefighters have been injured battling the blaze and one person has been killed. The fire has destroyed over 81 buildings and evacuation orders have been issued for the communities of Hornbrook, Hilt, and Irongate Reservoir in California and in Colestin, Oregon. Parts of Jackson county in Oregon are also under evacuation warnings.

The County Fire - which ignited on June 30 in Yolo county - is burning in Napa and Yolo counties and remains the largest active fire in California as of July 9. The blaze has burned some 36,500 hectares (90,200 acres) as of Monday morning, and is reportedly 73 percent contained. Emergency officials expect the fire to be fully contained by Thursday, July 12.

Additional evacuation orders, road closures, and power outages remain possible in areas affected by wildfires. Updated information on fire containment and evacuation orders is available on the CAL FIRE website.

Context

Hot, dry weather conditions and high winds contribute to the spread of wildfires, which are frequent in northern California from May through November. A series of wildfires in nearby Napa and Sonoma counties left 44 dead and destroyed thousands of homes in October 2017.

Advice

Individuals in affected areas are advised to exercise caution when traveling in areas affected by the wildfires, adhere to all instructions issued by the local authorities (e.g. evacuation orders), and monitor the situation.