More than 22,000 firefighters were combating “extreme fire behavior” across the West on Sunday as homes burned and thousands of residents fled fast-spreading flames.
The Dixie Fire in Northern California and the Bootleg Fire in southern Oregon were the most ravenous among least 88 major wildfires raging across 13 states. Firefighters were struggling with rugged terrain in hot, dry conditions, the National Interagency Fire Center said.
“Very dry conditions will continue for the northern Intermountain West, including poor overnight recovery for mid-slopes and ridges,” the fire center warned.
Don’t expect the wildfire threat to ease any time soon, authorities say.
The “harsh reality” is that the nation will continue to see more intense wildfires, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said Sunday. She said her state is investing in forest thinning and other programs aimed at long-term mitigation.
On Sunday, more than 2,200 firefighters were struggling to contain the Bootleg Fire, 640 square miles of devastation ranking as the state’s third largest fire in more than 100 years. More than 70 homes already have burned, and thousands more are threatened. Fire trucks and other resources were coming in from Arkansas, Nevada, Alaska and elsewhere.
“They (wildfires) are hotter and more fierce,” Brown told CNN’s State of the Union. “Climate change is here, it’s real, and it’s like a hammer hitting us in the head. And we have to take action.”
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There were reports of small victories. The nation’s largest wildfire, the Bootleg Fire, was nearly halfway surrounded despite high heat and wind, fire officials said. The growth of the sprawling blaze had slowed, but work remained.
“This fire is resistant to stopping at dozer lines,” said Jim Hanson, fire behavior analyst with the Oregon Department of Forestry. “With the critically dry weather and fuels we are experiencing, firefighters are having to constantly reevaluate their control lines and look for contingency options.”
In Northern California, the Dixie Fire, which began less than two weeks ago, had grown to about 300 square miles Sunday and had destroyed more than 20 homes and buildings. More than 7,000 homes were threatened, and more than 5,000 firefighters were battling the blaze, Cal Fire said.
“Grateful for our firefighters fighting the Dixie Fire,” tweeted California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has declared a state of emergency. “If you’re in the area, please stay safe and follow local official warnings.”
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Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea was among law enforcement officials going door to door to ensure that residents of threatened areas evacuated. Complicating the firefighting effort was a series of smaller blaze breaking out in the area, including some started by people using machinery, Honea said.
“We can’t afford to have anymore fires, and thankfully, Cal Fire was able to get ahold of those fires and stop them from destroying any structures or spreading,” Honea told the Enterprise-Record. “But luck will not last. So if you’re going to be out there, doing things … that could cause a fire – stop.”
Evacuations have been ordered for several communities in Butte, Plumas and Tehama counties. The cause of the fire has not been determined.
Elsewhere in California, the Tamarack fire south of Lake Tahoe continued to burn through timber and chaparral and threatened communities on both sides of the California-Nevada state line. The fire, sparked by lightning July 4 in Alpine County, has destroyed at least 10 buildings.
Heavy smoke from that blaze and the Dixie fire lowered visibility and may at times ground aircraft providing support for fire crews. The air quality south of Lake Tahoe and across the state line into Nevada deteriorated to very unhealthy levels.
Elsewhere, two fires in Washington state’s Okanogan County threatened hundreds of homes. And in Montana, Gov. Greg Gianforte enlisted the aid of Newsom and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox to send crews to help battle blazes, including the Devil’s Creek Fire that injured five firefighters last week.
“Thank you, @GovCox and @GavinNewsom, for supporting the State of Montana this wildfire season,” Gov. Greg Gianforte tweeted.
Contributing: The Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wildfires scorch Western US as homes burn and thousands threatened