Two people were found dead in a vehicle in the area of the McKinney Fire, California’s largest forest fire this year so far, according to authorities.
The two people were found on Sunday morning at 9:57 a.m. in a residential driveway off of Highway 96, west of the community of the Klamath River, according to the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office. Additional information on the deaths is pending based on positive identification of the victims and notification of their next of kin, the office stated on social media.
No other deaths caused by the fire have been found yet, a spokesperson for the office told the Washington Examiner.
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The McKinney Fire started on Friday afternoon and has spread to 55,493 acres as of Monday morning. It is 0% contained as of Monday morning, and its cause is under investigation, according to CAL Fire.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a state of emergency for Siskiyou County in response to the fire on Saturday, which forced the evacuation of almost 2,000 residents. The fire intensified due to dry fuels, extreme drought conditions, high temperatures, winds, and lightning storms, a news release from Newsom stated.
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Weather conditions expected on Monday, including “abundant lightning,” could spread the flames out further, according to the National Weather Service.
