Blitz Bureau
Wildfires are blazing across western U.S. and Canada, prompting thousands to evacuate, shutting down highways and fouling the air quality over several states.
In the U.S., wildfires are raging in Oregon, California and Washington, illuminating skies with bright orange flames and haze.
Interstate shut down
In Oregon, the Durkee fire shut down Interstate 84 in the eastern part of the state in both directions on July 23 between Ontario and Baker City, the state’s Department of Transportation said, warning: “The fire is advancing rapidly towards the highway in multiple locations in the Farewell Bend area.”
The U.S. Forest Service is at “the highest level of wildfire response possible,” as western forests grapple with record-breaking dry timber conditions. In Washington, a fire sparked on July 21 near Naches led to mandatory evacuations, another burning near Bickelton also led to evacuations and threatened a natural gas plant, and a blaze closed a section of U.S. Route 12, according to The Asdociated Press..
In California, the Apache fire sparked on July 23 evening near Highway 33 and Apache Canyon Road in Ventura County in the Los Padres National Forest. The blaze, estimated to be 250 acres, led the county to order evacuations for residences on Apache Canyon Road, local fire officials said. The US Forest Service said that millions of acres of national forest lands across Oregon and Washington are “continuing to see record breaking dry timber conditions,” coupled with lightning storms, that spurs “rapid wildfire growth.”
Officials said the Fremont-Winema and Deschutes national forests in Oregon have surpassed 75 days without wetting rains. Adding to conditions, much of the West has been hard hit with scorching temperatures in a prolonged heat wave the past few months.
Monster fire
“This is shaping up to be another monster fire year in the Pacific Northwest, and it’s just mid-July,” Ed Hiatt, Pacific Northwest assistant fire director for operations, said.
