2 dead as wildfire becomes California's largest this year

WASHINGTON

A wildfire that has grown to become California's largest this year killed two people over the weekend, officials announced on Monday.

The victims were found in a car that burned in the path of the McKinney fire. The vehicle was parked in a residential driveway along Doggett Creek Road, the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post. No additional information on the victims was immediately available.

The fire spread rapidly over the weekend, and consumed over 52,000 acres since it broke out on Friday, according to Cal Fire, the state's fire department.

The wildfire is spreading just south of the Oregon border in Northern California's Klamath National Forest, and is 0% contained as authorities brace for a day of strong winds and what the National Weather Service is describing as "abundant lightning."

The winds are expected to be highly erratic, and can cause the fire to spread in any direction, further complicating efforts at containment. Over 400 structures are being threatened by the fire as it advances with nearly 2,000 residents forced to evacuate their homes.

Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Sunday as the fire intensified and spread amid dry conditions brought on by extreme drought and high winds.

The state's Office of Emergency Services said two other fires in Siskiyou County – the China 2 and Evans fires – have merged and burned over 300 acres, prompting evacuation orders for over 200 residents.