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PCT hikers evacuated from McKinney Fire Updated: Jul 31, 2022 09:45 AM A A Sixty hikers were evacuated from the Pacific Crest Trail on the California side of the Red Buttes Wilderness above Applegate Lake Saturday due to the McKinney Fire. [JCSO photo] Sixty people were evacuated from the Pacific Crest Trail Saturday afternoon due to the McKinney Fire burning in northern Siskiyou County, according to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. JCSO Search and Rescue teams got an assist from the Rogue Valley Transportation District, providing rides for the people evacuated from the trail on the California side of the Red Buttes Wilderness Area. “JCSO SAR personnel assisted, directed and or transported the hikers from Road Junction 1055 to Seattle Bar at Applegate Lake,” according to a post on the sheriff’s Facebook page. “From there two RVTD buses transported them to Medford and Ashland at their request. The rescue team consisted of one JCSO deputy, three SAR volunteers and four RVTD personnel. The McKinney Fire, which was reported Sunday morning at more than 51,000 acres, broke out Friday about six miles south of the Oregon border. People in the Rogue Valley awoke to ash falling from the skies Saturday morning, and air quality levels plummeted to unhealthy levels Saturday and Sunday as smoke from the fire spread. Evacuations were ordered in Siskiyou County, but as of Sunday no evacuations were underway in Jackson County. Local firefighters were busy with several other fires over the weekend. Near the Oregon-California border, Oregon Department of Forestry, CAL FIRE Siskiyou Unit, Colestin Rural Fire District and Jackson County Fire District No. 5 extinguished a small fire along Old Highway 99 S east of I-5 at mile marker 2 on the Oregon side of the border. It was caught at half an acre, ODF reported. Northeast of Prospect, ODF and Prospect Rural Fire Protection District put out three small fires. The largest was caught at half an acre, ODF reported. For smoke and air quality information, see https://fire.airnow.gov/ For citizen alert and preparedness info, see https://rvem.org/ For updates on new fires in our area, follow ODF Southwest Oregon District For updates on McKinney Fire evacuations, follow the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office