Two die in northern California wildfire

Siskiyou County Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue called for a moment of silence at a community meeting Sunday afternoon near the town of Weed. He did not share details about the two people who died in the wildfire at that time, although media later reported they were women ages 66 and 73. Three other people were injured in the fire. As of Tuesday morning, some residents were beginning to return to their homes. Around 1,000 people had been under evacuation orders Sunday evening.

How did the fire start? While the exact cause remains uncertain, the Mill Fire sprang up in a less populated area on Friday, putting about 300 people under an evacuation order. The blaze appeared to have stopped growing Saturday before it expanded again Sunday, increasing the number of people under evacuation orders. The fire destroyed about 115 structures, damaged more than two dozen more, and covered more than 4,000 acres, officials said.

Dig deeper: Read Sarah Schweinsberg’s report from the WORLD archives about how fire experts are scrutinizing Western states’ fire suppression policies.