Wildfire in California prompts evacuations, road closures

San Francisco, Aug 17

A wildfire in Siskiyou County, California, prompted evacuations and road closures, officials have said.

Officials with the US Forest Services estimated the size of the blaze, known as the Head Fire, to be around 2,700 acres as of Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported.

The fire exploded Tuesday night in the Klamath National Forest, which covers more than 2,650 square miles (about 6,863 square km) in Northern California and Southern Oregon.

The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office issued evacuation orders for several areas in Selad Valley and the vicinity of Hamburg about 20 miles from the California-Oregon state line. Highway 96 and the Scott River Road were closed.

Some smaller lightning-caused fires were reported Tuesday in Mendocino County, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.