More than 100 homes were ordered to be evacuated and officials were warning people to be on high alert
More than 100 homes were ordered to be evacuated and officials were warning people to be on high alert
Wildfires in California and Montana spread in size overnight amid windy, warm conditions and were quickly encroaching on neighborhoods, prompting orders to evacuate more than 100 homes on July 30, while an Idaho fire continued to spread. Was.
In California’s Klamath National Forest, the fast-moving McKinney fire that began Friday has spread to an estimated 47 square miles (122 square kilometers) in a largely rural area near the Oregon state line by Saturday, according to fire officials.
Meanwhile, in Montana, the Elmo wildfire doubled in size to more than 6 square miles (about 16 square kilometers) near the town of Elmo and Flathead Lake. Roughly 200 miles (320 kilometers) south, residents of Idaho burned more than 67.5 square miles (174.8 square kilometers) of woodland near the town of Salmon in the form of an evacuation order in the Salmon-Challis National Forest as the Moose Fire. remained under. It was contained 17%.
Read also: Thousands ordered to flee California wildfires near Yosemite
As fires raged across the West, the US House on Friday approved sweeping legislation aimed at helping communities in the region cope with increasingly severe wildfires and droughts – fueled by climate change – that could destroy homes and businesses. has lost billions of dollars. recent years.
Tom Stokesberry, a spokesman for the US Forest Service for the area, said high temperatures, extreme wind and low humidity levels as well as a significant build-up of vegetation in the area were feeding the McKinney fire.
“It’s a very dangerous fire – the geography there is steep and rough, and this particular area hasn’t burned in a while,” he said.
A small fire was also burning nearby, outside the town of Cead, Mr. Stokesberry said. With lightning predicted in the next few days, resources are being brought in from across California to help fight the area’s fires, he said.
McKinney’s explosive escalation forced workers to shift from trying to control the perimeter of the fire to trying to protect homes and critical infrastructure such as water tanks and power lines, and into evacuations in Siskiyou, California’s northernmost county. helped. Part of Highway 96 was closed due to smoke from the fire.
Representatives and law enforcement were knocking on doors in the county seat of Yereka and the city of Fort Jones urging residents to get out and get their animals safely onto trailers. Automated calls were also being sent over land phone lines as were areas without cell phone service.
More than 100 homes were ordered to be evacuated and officials were warning people to be on high alert.
“We are asking residents throughout the area to be prepared,” said Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Courtney Creder. “Last night we were pushing for evacuations about every hour, and there are large parts of the county that are in warning areas.”
Moments later, she said, “Oh – we just added another area to the evacuation alert.”
In western Montana, the wind-driven Elmo fire forced the evacuation of homes and livestock as it moved across grass and wood, according to The National Interagency Fire Center, based in Idaho. The agency estimates that it will take about a month to bring the fire under control.
According to the Montana Department of Transportation, the thick smoke caused a section of Highway 28 between Hot Springs and Elmo to be closed.
Personnel from several different agencies were fighting the fire on Saturday, including the Confederate Salish and Kootnai Tribes fire divisions. Six helicopters were making drops on the fire with the help of 22 engines on the ground.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said Saturday morning that additional homes were in “pre-evacuation” status, and residents were being asked to monitor information from regional agencies when weather changes and more evacuations are needed.
In Idaho, more than 930 wildland firefighters and support personnel were responding to moose fires on Saturday.
With a red flag warning indicating that the weather could cause extreme fire behavior, “dry thunderstorms” were in effect for the area – typically causing lightning and wind without rain – as expected.
Firefighters were working to protect homes, energy infrastructure and the Highway 93 corridor, a major north-south route.
Meanwhile, crews made significant progress in battling another major fire in California that forced the evacuation of thousands of people near Yosemite National Park earlier this month. According to the Cal Fire Incident Update, 52% of the oak fires were contained as of Saturday.
The legislative measure approved Friday by federal lawmakers combines 49 separate bills and will increase firefighters pay and benefits; Promote resilience and mitigation projects for communities affected by climate change; protect watersheds; and making it easier for wildfire victims to get federal aid.
The bill now goes to the Senate, where California Democratic Sen. Diane Feinstein has sponsored a similar measure.