The Western United States has been devastated by natural disasters this summer. The issues started with a heat dome that caused blazing temperatures throughout the western portion of the country. Additionally, wildfires are not ripping through Oregon and many other western states in America.
The fires have been so detrimental that the haze has traveled across the nation to eastern states like New York and Connecticut. Firefighting crews are hard at work to limit the damage, but dangerous conditions have complicated the wildfire fight.
Details of the Wildfires
There have been a variety of fires throughout California and southern Oregon. The two that have been the most prominent are the Tamarack Fire in CA and the Bootleg Fire in OR. The Bootleg Fire has been the larger of the two.
Firefighters have been hard at work to minimize the damage, but heavy winds have caused dangerous conditions. The Bootleg Fire has been named the largest in the modern history of Oregon, burning more than 1,210 square kilometers.
This is equivalent to the sizer of Los Angeles, and it’s only 25% contained at the moment. Meteorologists predicted the fires because of lightning in the area of CA and OR. However, there is nothing firefighters could have done to prevent the rapid spread.
Crews were on scene as soon as fires were identified. It’s hot, the air quality is bad, and thunderstorms are potent in the west, so relief is a long time away. Additionally, it’s hard for crews to work because when a fire is contained, a new one starts.
Dangerous Conditions
Thousands have been evacuated from their homes. This process has been difficult because many of the people that are affected by the wildfires live in isolated areas in the woods. Nearly 2,000 people were in this category.
The fire has destroyed upwards of 100 homes and many other buildings throughout the woods of OR and CA. Wildfires occur every year in the west. Some years are worse than others, but the trend for the fires has not been good because of climate change.
Firefighters who report to the area every year to fight the blazes have stated that they are getting worse every year. This has been attributed to climate change because the west has become warmer and drier in the past 30 years. The weather will only worsen moving forward, which is not good news for future fires.
Other Notable Fires
The Tamarack and Bootleg Fires have been given most of the coverage throughout this period of devastation. Nevertheless, there are many other fires causing damage throughout the west.
The Dixie Fire in Paradise, CA, spans 74 square kilometers, but it’s only 15% contained. Dixie killed 85 people because of the speed the fire spread. There is a surging wildfire in Lake Tahoe that is being watched by crews.
People can no longer access sections of the Pacific Crest Trail because of the potential blazes that could rip through the Sierra Nevada mountains. In 2021, there have been 70 massive fires that have burned 4,297 square kilometers of the United States. Sixteen of the fires have occurred in the Pacific Northwest.
Get REAL, UNBIASED coverage of the latest political news from our experts at World Politics News.
Follow us on Social Media to receive instant updates on the latest news.