Forest Service: career fire lookout dies in McKinney Fire

A long-time Klamath National Forest fire lookout was named as one of four people died in the continuing McKinney wildfire in California on Monday. According to CalFire, the fire, which started on July 29, is 40 percent controlled and has burnt more than 60,000 acres.

According to the National Park Service, Kathy Shoopman started her lookout career as a Baldy Mountain Lookout in 1974. She worked at Lake Mountain Lookout throughout her career and has been at Buckhorn Lookout since 1993. According to the Parks Service, she had resided in Klamath for more than five decades and liked gardening and producing art. She was also known as an animal enthusiast. “We must inform with tremendous grief that the Klamath National Forest has lost one of its own. Kathy Shoopman, a beloved long-time Klamath National Forest Lookout, has died “The National Park Service of the United States issued a statement on Monday. “We share your grief, and we know that as individuals and as a supportive community, we will find numerous ways to remember Kathy’s life and service, and keep her spirit alive in all of our lives.”

At least three more people have died as the McKinney fire rages on in California. The McKinney wildfire, now the state’s biggest, is one of numerous blazes threatening the Klamath National Forest, which stretches slightly into Oregon from California.

According to CalFire, at least 100 buildings and residences have burnt, and over 3,000 workers and 248 fire engines are currently battling the incident. According to CalFire, the fire’s course is presently threatening an additional 4,576 buildings. California’s Highway 96 is still blocked.