US: 2 dead in California’s largest wildfire this year

In United States, hundreds of firefighters in California are battling the largest wildfire to spread in the state so far this year. The state's fire service in a statement said, the McKinney Fire, which started in the northern Siskiyou county on Friday, has already burnt more than 55,000 acres in Klamath National Forest near the California border with Oregon, destroying homes and threatening hundreds more. It was 0% contained. Authorities announced Monday that two people were found dead inside a car in the fire zone.  Local authorities said that at least 2,000 residents as well as trekkers on the Pacific Crest hiking trail have left the area. Homes have been destroyed.
California Governor Gavin Newsom said, a state of emergency was declared in Siskiyou county on Saturday, after homes were destroyed and infrastructure was threatened. A red flag warning indicating the threat of dangerous fire conditions is in place, as California suffers from persistent drought conditions. Authorities also warn that possible thunderstorms could result in more fires developing in the coming days. The US Forest Service warned that conditions could be extremely dangerous for firefighters, as winds can be erratic and extremely strong causing the fire to spread in any direction. California, which is facing serious drought conditions, still has months of its fire season ahead.

About 650 firefighters battling the blaze were contending with triple-digit heat and possible thunderstorms that could set off dangerous conditions. A red flag warning was in effect due to searing temperatures, which averaged about 100 degrees on Sunday, officials said. Highway 96 was shut down along the Klamath River, where crews overnight worked to keep homes and buildings from burning.