Wildfires raging in rugged pockets of California’s far north have killed a Siskiyou County man and added particulate plumes to smoke drifting toward the Bay Area from big Oregon blazes.  California fire map: Active fires in Northern California including Smith River Complex California’s fire season is here, and with temperatures rising, lightning weather in the forecast and autumnal winds always a threat, it’s likely to intensify over the next few months and threaten more populated areas.  Roughly 173,000 acres have burned so far this season — up 24% from 139,000 this time last year, a surprisingly mild season, but down nearly 80% from an average of about 812,000 acres over the past five years, which included three years of historic drought.

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