Wind, heat, dry land fuel large fires
Winds in the West are helping stoke wildfires sweeping across the Northern Rocky Mountains, Pacific Northwest and elsewhere, posing problems for firefighters trying to contain the flames fed by drought.
Weather was expected to worsen fires in some areas, as the federal government said it will exhaust its firefighting budget next week. Here’s a look at blazes in Western states:
OREGON
Two large fires in Oregon have burned through buildings and forced evacuations as strong winds pick up, sending guests of a resort fleeing.
A fire on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation in rural central Oregon exploded to more than 50 square miles Friday, forcing evacuations of a rural subdivision and a resort that had 400 guests booked Thursday night.
The fire was expected to keep growing as strong winds push it through dry grassland. Sparks from a passing vehicle started the flames earlier this week that destroyed three structures, including a mobile home.
In eastern Oregon, a lightning- caused fire south of Baker City moved west toward Black Mountain and several summer homes. People in that area and those along a creek to the south were ordered to evacuate.
WASHINGTON
Firefighters across Washington state are facing extreme heat and high winds as they battle large blazes and numerous smaller fires across the dry state, and officials feared lightning storms Friday could make it worse.
Hundreds of people were evacuating from the central Washington city of Chelan as lightningsparked wildfires advanced. Flames and smoke were visible from downtown.
The fires were among those being bat tled throughout Washington, including an uncontained blaze near Cougar Creek that had burned 28 square miles near the Yakima Indian Reservation. The state requested help Friday from the National Guard to fight that fire.
A wildfire ignited by a plane crash that killed two people in a rugged area of northern Washington state chased hundreds of people from their homes and burned 10 to 12 structures.
IDAHO
A giant blaze on the Idaho-Oregon border grew to 414 square miles Friday, scorching grassland ranchers need to feed cattle and primary habitat for sage grouse, a bird being considered for federal protection.
The Owyhee County Sheriff ’ s Office recommended residents evacuate several drainages on the southern edge of the fire, and some roads were closed to recreational visitors, but locals were allowed in.
NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAINS
Hot, dry weather has helped ignite dozens of new wildfires across the Northern Rockies, and lightning and strong winds were expected make things worse, officials said.
Thunderstorms could start new blazes and lead existing ones to spread but would not bring enough moisture to help crews battling the flames in drought conditions in Montana, Idaho and parts of North Dakota and Wyoming, said Bryan Henry of the Northern Rockies Coordination Center.
The weather helped the largest Montana fire, in Glacier National Park, spread from just a few acres Sunday to more than 23 square miles Friday. It is uncontained in a remote area of the park.