The nation’s largest active wildfire continues to burn in Oregon, while Californians in the north and south of the state are being forced to evacuate quickly.
Now in peak fire season, the U.S. currently has 89 large active wildfires, with only one contained, according to the Interior Department’s National Interagency Fire Center. The fire has burned 1,253,640 hectares in many states.
The Durkee Fire
The Durkee Fire, ignited by lightning on July 17, has spread to 26,492 hectares, burning swathes of eastern Oregon, according to the latest press release. The fire is near the Oregon-Idaho state line, near Interstate 84. The Oregon Department of Transportation posted on X, before Twitter, that the highway was reopened Thursday.
So far, 514 personnel, 50 engines, nine crews, eight dozers, nine water tenders, and one helicopter, have been assigned to contain the fire, which is currently at 0%. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek said she has deployed the resources of the National Guard to support blazes across the state.
The Durkee Fire, designated as the top priority fire in the state, has the most resources assigned, according to the National Incident Management Situation Report.
Oregon Department of Transportation via AP
The fire has grown rapidly due to “record setting high temperatures, extremely rare and unseasonably dry fuels, and unsteady high winds,” said a press release from local, state, and national departments coordinating the fire’s fight.
Nearby residents have been evacuated, with the Baker County Sheriff’s Office and Malheur County Sheriff’s Office updating evacuation orders on their Facebook pages. After yesterday’s storm reprieve, the city of Huntington has lowered its evacuation warning from level 3 “GO” to level 1 “BE READY.”
Baker County Sheriff Travis Ash told Newsweek in the email there: “We are local, the rural fire agency and the rangeland fire protection association have worked tirelessly to fight this fire since the ignition on July 17th. They are facing difficult conditions, especially with the adverse weather we have seen. as hardworking and dedicated people truly care about their community.
Newsweek The Durkee Fire coordinating effort, the National Weather Service in Oregon, and the National Interagency Firefighting Center were reached for comment by email on Thursday.
California Fires
The Taman Fire started yesterday around 3 pm, and has crossed two counties in Northern California, Butte and Tehama, burning 71,489 hectares. It is now 3% according to CAL FIRE.
More than 3,500 residents were forced to evacuate Wednesday night, the California governor’s office wrote in a statement.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation by CAL FIRE.
However, the Butte District Attorney’s office released a statement today that “A 42-year-old Chico man was arrested early this morning by Cal Fire arson investigators, assisted by District Attorney investigators on suspicion of starting Park Fire.”
It is believed that he pushed the burning car down the ravine yesterday afternoon. The car went down an embankment and then spread “a fire that caused a Garden Fire.” The statement said the name of the person will be released this afternoon.
According to the US National Park Service (NPS) on its website, “Nearly 85% of wildfires in the United States are caused by humans.”
Newsweek reach CAL FIRE via email there.
In San Diego County, evacuation orders were put in place after the Grove Fire grew to 1.3 square kilometers in a few hours. At the end of the night it was 5%.
Uncommon knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for a common field.
