Oregon wildfire explodes to half the size of Rhode Island
OREGON STATE FIRE MARSHAL/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS/FILE PHOTO
A firefighter works to extinguish the Lone Rock fire burning in Spray, Ore., on July 21, in this screengrab obtained from video. Winds and lightning strikes have sparked and fanned wildfires across the Pacific Northwest this week, including the largest fire in the United States, near the Oregon-Idaho border, which grew rapidly today, fire officials said.
Winds and lightning strikes have sparked and fanned wildfires across the Pacific Northwest this week, including the largest fire in the United States, near the Oregon-Idaho border, which grew rapidly today, fire officials said.
The Durkee Fire near Huntington, Oregon, about 100 miles north of Boise, Idaho, has scorched 600 square miles, an area more than half the size of Rhode Island’s land mass. It has threatened several towns.
The blaze was sparked by lightning on July 17, and wind gusts up to 60 mph drove the flames across brush, timberland and ranches, killing hundreds of cattle. The fire was only 20% contained today, officials said.
Firefighters might get relief in the coming days, forecasters said. While there is zero chance of rain through next week, winds have dropped and cooler air is in store, said meteorologist Marc Chenard of the National Weather Service.
“Hopefully it gives firefighters a break,” he said.
As of Thursday, wildfires this year have burned almost 1 million acres in Oregon and 125,900 acres in Washington, according to the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center in Portland, Oregon.
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In 2020, the worst year in recent memory, Oregon wildfires scorched more than 1.14 million acres, according to a tally by a CBS TV affiliate KOIN.
In California, the Park Fire, believed to have been started by an arsonist, has forced the evacuation of more than 4,000 residents in Butte County, about 100 miles northeast of Sacramento.
A suspect was arrested on Thursday, accused of pushing a burning car down a bone-dry gully.
The fire grew uncontrolled overnight from 125,000 acres on Thursday to 164,200 acres this morning, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
“The biggest challenge with this fire is getting to it,” said Fire Captain Dan Collins. “It’s steep land with almost no roads. It’s hard to get our people and equipment to the fire lines.”
Forecasters warned that winds would reach 30 mph today and through the weekend. Combined with low humidity, it is a recipe for rapid growth, officials said.
