US: Efforts to contain California wildfires continue July 11 /update 5

Event

The Klamathon Fire, burning in Siskiyou county (California state) near the California-Oregon border, has been 60 percent contained and the number of structures threatened decreased from 1036 to 315, as of Wednesday, July 11. The fire continues to burn in the Horseshoe Ranch Wildlife area, the Soda Mountain Wilderness, and Klamath National Forest. At least three firefighters have been injured battling the blaze and one person has been killed, as the fire has burned 14,770 hectares (36,500 acres) of land and destroyed over 81 buildings. Evacuation warnings have been issued for the Copco Lake area in California and parts of Jackson county in Oregon.

The County Fire, which has been burning in Napa and Yolo counties since June 30, has been 86 percent contained as of July 11. Officials announced that all evacuation orders have been lifted, but roads within the affected area remain closed. The blaze has burned some 36,538 hectares (90,288 acres) and destroyed 20 structures.

The George Fire, which ignited on Sunday, July 8, has spread to 1101 hectares (2500 acres) near the Whitney Portal area in Inyo county. Evacuation notices have been issued for the White Portal area. 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.