UPDATE: Willow Fire downgraded to 177 acres in Siskiyou County
A vegetation fire made a run just outside Montague in Siskiyou County before firefighters stopped its growth on Monday night, June 22.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection on Tuesday downgraded the size of the Willow Fire from 230 acres to 177 acres and said the fire is 50% contained. The evacuation warning for the fire also has been lifted.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
"Crews made good progress last night. Due to better mapping the final fire sizes have changed. The larger of the two is 144 acres and the second is 63 acres for a combined total of 177 acres and 50% contained. Crews will continue to mop up and strengthen containment lines and closely monitor fire activity, ensuring it stays within controlled boundaries. The cause of the fire remains under investigation," the agency posted on its incident page Tuesday morning.
The Willow Fire caused a scare after its rapid growth prompted evacuation warnings and made it the North State's largest wildfire so far this season.
But crews on scene hit the fire quickly by air and on the ground. They reported having it 20% contained about an hour after Cal Fire's Siskiyou Unit posted about the blaze at 6:06 p.m. Monday on its Facebook page.
The fire was sparked in an area off Willow Creek Road just outside of Montague, which is east of Yreka. It was reported at 200 acres at 6:56 p.m. The cause was under investigation.
The incident began as two small fires but within minutes grew to a larger fire, according to Watch Duty, which tracks fires and emergency response.
The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office's evacuation warning was for residents who live in Zone MTG-3410.
Fire officials on scene requested additional resources to fight the fire, and at least three helicopters and a control aircraft flying over the affected were shown on a Cal Fire map of the incident.
At least 100 fire personnel were working the fire, Cal Fire reported.
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This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: UPDATE: Willow Fire downgraded to 177 acres in Siskiyou County
Reporting by Jenny Espino, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
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This story was originally published June 23, 2026 at 9:01 AM.