The Head Fire in Siskiyou County, California, has grown to 4,000 acres and is currently 0% contained. It is burning on the north side of the Klamath River near the confluence of the Scott River.
Evacuation orders have been issued for several areas south and north of Highway 96, including specific zones such as SIS-1236, SIS-1120, SIS-1117, SIS-1007, SIS-1233, and SIS-2001-B. Evacuation warnings have also been issued for areas north and south of Highway 96, including zones SIS-1010, SIS-1123, SIS-3502, SIS-2007, SIS-2004, SIS-2001-A, SIS-1230-A, SIS-1230-B, SIS-1114, SIS-1004, SIS-1313, and SIS-1316.
The firefighting efforts are being handled by the Type 1 California Interagency Incident Management Team 5 (Mueller), who have assumed command of the Happy Camp Complex, including the Head Fire. Additional ground and air resources have been ordered to support the complex. The strategy for managing these fires is aggressive full suppression.
Several road closures are in effect due to the fire. Highway 96 is closed between Route 263 and Seiad Creek Bridge, and Scott River Road is closed between Hamburg and Mule Creek. Highway 199 is closed from MP 16 to 31 (Darlingtonia to north of Idlewild). The Pacific Crest Trail is closed from Etna Summit to the Oregon border, and hikers and backpackers are advised to avoid the area.
Evacuation shelters have been set up for people and animals affected by the fire. The Kahtishraam Wellness Center and Karuk Wellness Center are available for people in Yreka and Happy Camp, respectively. Rescue Ranch in Yreka is providing shelter for dogs, and SNIP of Siskiyou County Armory building in Yreka is offering shelter for cats. The Siskiyou Golden Fair is accommodating livestock animals such as horses, pigs, sheep, goats, and birds.
For live updates on the evacuations, the ZoneHaven Map can be accessed at community.zonehaven.com. The situation is still developing, and further updates will be provided by NewsWatch 12.