McKinney Fire Burns Multiple Homes and Vehicles [Photos of the Destruction Left Behind]
![Stop cones were placed around a truck and trailer that burned on Highway 96. [Photo by Mark McKenna]](https://kymkemp.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/MCKINNEY.FIRE_.SUNDAY.DSC_6593-noresize.jpg)
Orange cones flank the burned remains of a truck pulling a trailer on Hwy 96. The fate of the occupants is unknown to us. [Photos all by Mark McKenna]
The biggest of the fires is the McKinney Fire which was mapped by the Fire Integrated Real Time Intelligence System (FIRIS) this afternoon at 52,499 acres–it is 0% contained. The same site also reports the China Fire at 1,652.5 acres just before 1 p.m.
The McKinney Fire started Friday afternoon and forced 2000 residents to evacuate—some of them fleeing through flames down Hwy 96 as their homes burned behind them.
Our photographer, Mark McKenna plunged back into this area today to capture what was left behind.
Below are the images he captured.
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![Flames began to flare up as winds picked up across the Klamath River near Highway 96. [All Photos by Mark McKenna]](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%202000%201333'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
- Flames on the McKinney Fire today.
![Flames began to flare up as winds picked up across the Klamath River near Highway 96. [All Photos by Mark McKenna]](https://kymkemp.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/MCKINNEY.FIRE_.SUNDAY.DSC_6723-noresize.jpg)
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- Multiple vehicles and structures were burned in what appeared to be an RV park on Highway 96 near the small community of Klamath River.
![Multiple homes and structures were destroyed in the small community of Klamath River on Highway 96 West of Yreka. [All Photos by Mark McKenna]](https://kymkemp.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/MCKINNEY.FIRE_.SUNDAY.DSC_6581-noresize.jpg)
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- The door of one burned car sprawls open as if an occupant left too quickly to take time to close it.
![Multiple vehicles and structures were burned in what appeared to be an RV park on Highway 96 near the small community of Klamath River.[Photo by Mark McKenna]](https://kymkemp.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/MCKINNEY.FIRE_.SUNDAY.DSC_6566-noresize.jpg)
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- A cheery flag that once waved a welcome in front of someone’s home is limp and melted.
![Multiple homes and structures were destroyed in the small community of Klamath River on Highway 96 West of Yreka. [All Photos by Mark McKenna]](https://kymkemp.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/MCKINNEY.FIRE_.SUNDAY.DSC_6374-noresize.jpg)
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- A burned truck outside of a destroyed home on Highway 96 in the community of Klamath River
![Multiple homes and structures were destroyed in the small community of Klamath River on Highway 96 West of Yreka. [All Photos by Mark McKenna]](https://kymkemp.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/MCKINNEY.FIRE_.SUNDAY.DSC_6372-noresize.jpg)
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- Ridge Gigax, from the Lassen National Forest Hat Creek Ranger District, monitors a flare up near Highway 96 near the small community of Klamath River.
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- A chimney and a bathtub were all that remained in a destroyed home in the same community.
![Multiple homes and structures were destroyed in the small community of Klamath River on Highway 96 West of Yreka. [All Photos by Mark McKenna]](https://kymkemp.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/MCKINNEY.FIRE_.SUNDAY.DSC_6382-noresize.jpg)
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- A bright sunflower decoration stands in contrast to the building destroyed behind it.
![Multiple homes and structures were destroyed in the small community of Klamath River on Highway 96 West of Yreka. [All Photos by Mark McKenna]](https://kymkemp.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/MCKINNEY.FIRE_.SUNDAY.DSC_6533-noresize.jpg)
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- Rubble and charred trees litter the landscape.
![Multiple homes and structures were destroyed in the small community of Klamath River on Highway 96 West of Yreka. [All Photos by Mark McKenna]](https://kymkemp.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/MCKINNEY.FIRE_.SUNDAY.DSC_6393-noresize.jpg)
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- A man weed eats grass around a fire damaged structure in the community of Klamath River.
![Multiple homes and structures were destroyed in the small community of Klamath River on Highway 96 West of Yreka. [All Photos by Mark McKenna]](https://kymkemp.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/MCKINNEY.FIRE_.SUNDAY.DSC_6425-noresize.jpg)
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- Obscured by smoke, the Klamath River flows to the left of one burned structure.
![Multiple homes and structures were destroyed in the small community of Klamath River on Highway 96 West of Yreka. [All Photos by Mark McKenna]](https://kymkemp.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/MCKINNEY.FIRE_.SUNDAY.DSC_6488-noresize.jpg)
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- Another family is without a home after the devastating McKinney Fire spread quickly this weekend.
![Multiple homes and structures were destroyed in the small community of Klamath River on Highway 96 West of Yreka. [All Photos by Mark McKenna]](https://kymkemp.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/MCKINNEY.FIRE_.SUNDAY.DSC_6507-noresize.jpg)
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- Smokey Bear points out that fire danger was high but not extreme when the McKinney Fire burned up to the base of his sign.
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- Flames began to flare up as winds picked up across the Klamath River near Highway 96 as our reporter left the area. At over 52,000 acres, the McKinney is the biggest fire in California this year…so far.
![Flames began to flare up as winds picked up across the Klamath River near Highway 96. [All Photos by Mark McKenna]](https://kymkemp.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/MCKINNEY.FIRE_.SUNDAY.DSC_6758-noresize.jpg)
UPDATE: Two Found Dead Fleeing the McKinney Fire; This Morning 0% Containment and Over 55,000 Acres
Earlier: McKinney Fire West of Yreka Swallows Over 78 Square Miles, 400 Structures Threatened
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Sad.. I feel for the home owners. Hope everyone got out safely.
Very sad
Here is the latest weather image. Looks like a good storm over fire area.
over
Hope there is rain and not more lightning strikes.
Only lightning and lots of it.
We’re praying for rain too but nothing so far.
Oh no!
That’s the last thing you all need there!
You are near Humbug?
I sure hope you all get the rain that you need… And soon!
Yes. It’s been booming in the afternoon for the last 3 days.
There’s lots of nervous people up here.
It’s surprising to me that there isn’t a system by which calfire sees these images of thunderstorms, and can have air support to knock these lightning fires out immediately. Do we not have the technology for that? Seems like it would t be that hard, considering the cost year after year.
Cant fly in low visibility nor is a lightning storm a safe place to send an aircraft into.
As far as I know theres no night drops?
Biggeat factor is this isnt Calfire its National Forest and they manage the firefighting utilizing other agencies resources.
Meet the McKinney Fire Management Team from CalFire https://www.ciimt10.org/
Makes sense, I guess.
Also, it would seem to me there’s a lot of military equipment just sitting around, isn’t there some way of quickly converting these Huey’s to fight fire? I’m talking an army of them.
The McKinney Wildfire grew to over 29,000 acres (29,678 acres) during the first 24 hours (in less than 24 hours)
In just 16 hours later, it grew another 21,790 acres, totaling 51,468 acres.
As of 7/31 at 12:55 pm, the total acreage is 52,499 acres, in just under 48 hours.
Still zero percent contained.
The McKinney Fire could reach well over 200,000 acres before it is contained.
There was a Wildfire that started in August of 2020 (I don’t remember which one, there were about 85 large Wildfires at the time) that grew 100,000 acres in size in just a 24 hour period.
Unfortunately, what we are witnessing is normal for the current times.
Always amazed me how everything could be burned except things like the sign and flag. When I see an open door on the car it worries me that someone was trapped and unable to get away. lets pray that is not the case.
Thank you, Mark Mckenna, for the reports and photos. Be most careful. There’s a link above to a YouTube podcast site called The Lookout with Zeke Lunder. I think readers will find this site most informative and educational and I recommend subscribing. Zender has a background in professional timber and forest fire management.
Damn. That happened quickly.
Last year we had fire all around us, but it didn’t hit our house.
We saw it grow closer day by day.
These guys didn’t have a chance.
Scary.
Sad pictures. Smokey Bear by the way. It’s not Santa The Clause, it’s not Easter the Bunny, it’s not…
Fixed. Though those of us who listened to Gene Autry will struggle to remember there’s no “the.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNdFs0wRxDg
He’s been Smokey THE Bear to me my whole long, long life.
And will always remain Smoky the Bear in my heart.
I need to hold on to at least
one delusion from my childhood…
Some of us are old enough to remember when the saying was; “Only you can prevent ‘forest’ fires.”
Same for my whole long life. Smokey the Bear. It’s not Smokey Willie Nelson. It’s not Smokey State Trooper. It’s Smokey the Bear. Hasn’t that been true since his rescue as a cub in a New Mexico forest fire in the late 40’s? About as old as I am. Geez, I just got over a dust-up on LoCO. Now this.
Yaaas, Gene Autry ftw ..
If ya sing, it is Smokey the Bear. Lucy in the sky is another.
The abandoned vehicles is especially haunting. I sure hope they survived. So incredibly sad.
That really is eerie! Hope all the firefighters and residents stay safe! The drought is insane and isn’t helping
All the money and years of planning but yet still can’t put out fires. More 747’s in the air, obviously these helicopters and feet on the ground aren’t working.
Not just California..
Fires engulf western Nebraska wildlife area, sparking evacuations…
Wildfire burning in western Montana forces evacuations.A wildfire burning in western Montana has spread to 2,000 acres, forcing evacuations and road closures.
And this one in Idaho..
The fire has burned nearly 50,000 acres and is 21 percent contained.
The Moose Fire has contributed to smoke in the Jackson Hole area.
according to fox news 2 bodies were found inside a car tjat was over ran by the fire.
Here’s our story: https://kymkemp.com/2022/08/01/two-found-dead-fleeing-the-mckinney-fire-this-morning-0-containment-and-over-55000-acres/
What do they make those signs out of anyway? It held up pretty darn good considering everything around it
Those pictures are just gut wrenching to look at. I feel so very, very sorry for the people that have lost their homes, pets, vehicles, etc. I cannot in a million years understand how they must feel. They have found two poor souls that lost their lives in their vehicle running from the flames. May they RIP. I pray that there will not be any more lives lost, but I am sure there will be. May God protect everyone involved.
I hope the person who bailed out of that car made it to safety.
Such poignant photos.
It’s a good thing Smokey had some defensible space around his sign. Goes to show you how important that defensible space is in protecting your home!