California's McKinney Fire burns close to 60,000 acres; at least 4 dead

Aug. 4 (UPI) -- Containment for Northern California's deadly McKinney Fire -- the largest in the state this year -- rose to 10% on Thursday and crews say the blaze has now blackened close to 60,000 acres.

The fire began last week and so far at least four deaths have been attributed to the blaze, the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office said.

Authorities said that multiple evacuation orders and warnings are still in effect and some fire trucks were damaged during flooding as firefighters battled the fire.

Cal Fire said on Thursday that the McKinney Fire has burned about 58,000 acres so far. It began on Friday.

Two people were found dead earlier this week as a result of the large fire. The bodies of both were found inside a burned car in the path of the blaze.

Crews have improved control of the fire this week. On Monday, the McKinney Fire was 0% contained. Weather conditions such as lightning and dry vegetation have made fighting the blaze more difficult.

Thousands of people and animals have been displaced by the large fire. A photojournalist discovered a young puppy in a burned area near the California-Oregon border several days ago.

Jonathan Rivas said he was filming the scenes last weekend in the community of Klamath River -- where the fire had burned a number of trees and homes -- when he heard the small dog calling out.

"I heard a yelp in the distance, but I didn't really know what it was," he told KCRA-TV. "I thought it was an injured deer or one of the wildlife that's there.

"All of a sudden, this little puppy comes and runs up to me. I was super shocked to see that come from the rubble there."