2 killed in California wildfire

San Francisco, Sep 5

Two people were killed in a fast-moving wildfire in California's Siskiyou county, a top official said.

Late Sunday, the county's Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue said the deaths in the Mill Fire were reported in the town of Weed, reports Xinhua news agency.

LaRue gave no details about the deaths in the blaze, which erupted on September 2 and destroyed or damaged at least 50 homes and forced several thousand people to be under mandatory evacuations.

According to the latest data released by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Mill Fire burned through an estimated 17.2 square km with 25 per cent containment.

On Sunday, firefighters in Siskiyou county also had to shift their focus to the Mountain Fire, which began on September 2, 16.1 km northwest of the Mill Fire, just outside of the community of Gazelle.

There were 690 structures threatened and 332 people evacuated.

Governor Gavin Newsom issued a state of emergency in Siskiyou County on Saturday due to the wildfires.

Mill Fire is the eighth significant fire to hit the northern extremes of California this summer, including the deadly McKinney Fire which has killed four people and scorched over 60,000 acres in Northern California.

McKinney Fire is the state's largest wildfire so far this year.