Story at a glance
- A wildfire raging in Oregon is now twice the size of Portland.
- The fire ignited from an undetermined cause on July 6 and has continued to spread and grow.
- Fires continue to rage across the western United States as it contends with a cycle of extreme heat waves and dry conditions.
A wildfire raging in Oregon is now twice the size of Portland, the state’s largest city, and it’s continuing to grow.
The fire — known locally as the Bootleg Fire —ignited from an undetermined cause on July 6 and has continued to spread and grow in the week since due to the environmental conditions.
“Fire remains very active with significant acreage increases due to hot, dry, and breezy conditions. Poor humidity recovery at night is contributing to active fire spread through the night time period,” InciWeb reports. “Robust spread rates are being generated by drought-affected fuels. Expecting similar conditions for the next several days.”
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As of publishing, the fire has grown to 212,377 acres, burning large portions of the Fremont-Winema National Forest and leading to the forest’s closure, as well as evacuation efforts from Klamath County through Lake County.
“We are under extreme weather conditions,” fire spokesman Daniel Omdal told local KTVZ on Tuesday. “The humidity is low, the fuels are highly flammable and all those provide conditions for significant fire activity.”
Fires continue to rage across the western United States as it contends with a cycle of extreme heat waves and dry conditions. In California, the state is experiencing its worst wildfire of the year.
READ MORE STORIES FROM CHANGING AMERICA
EXPERTS SAY WESTERN US NOW TRAPPED IN DEATH CYCLE OF EXTREME HEAT, DROUGHT, FIRE
CALIFORNIA WILDFIRE RAGES OUT OF CONTROL, DEATH VALLEY HITS 130 DEGREES
NEW CALIFORNIA HEAT WAVE TO SOAR PAST 115 DEGREES IN SOME PLACES
RECORD-SMASHING HEAT WAVE IN PACIFIC NORTHWEST TURNS DEADLY
PORTLAND HITS 116 DEGREES AS ‘HEAT DOME’ SMASHES RECORDS IN PACIFIC NORTHWEST
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