More than 50 large wildfires are currently burning across 10 states in the U.S. West, causing thousands to evacuate their homes.
According to USA Today, the number of wildfires burning through California appears to be outpacing the average number of fires the state usually sees and, so far, has even outpaced last year's historic fire season.
Having burned more than 90,000 acres of land already is the Beckwourth Complex Fire in Doyle, California. The fire, which is near the Northern California-Nevada border, is only around 25 percent contained and has led to partial closures of U.S. Route 395. Mandatory evacuation orders have also been issued for nearby residents, ABC Sacramento affiliate KXTV reports.
Another fire, the River Fire, erupted Sunday night in Madera and Mariposa Counties, in California. ABC News reports that in a matter of hours, the River Fire grew to more than 4,000 acres on Sunday. The fire is 15 percent contained.
In Klamath County, Oregon, the Bootleg Fire has already burned through more than 153,000 acres of land. The fire was discovered on July 6 in the Fremont-Winema National Forest. The Associated Press reports that the fire at least doubled in size twice over the weekend, but growth appears to have slowed on Sunday.
Montana is also facing a wildfire. KPAX 8 News reports that the Brewster Fire in Craig, Montana, has covered more than 156 acres near Brewster Creek and Rock Creek, Montana. At the time of this writing, the fire is 60 percent contained. ABC News reports that the Brewster Fire has caused several road closings, including parts of Interstate 15.
Fighting the fires has been especially difficult since much of the U.S. West has been battling a heatwave that introduced temperatures of over 100 degrees in some areas. According to the Associated Press, in some places, extremely dry air caused water being dropped on the fires by aircraft to evaporate before even reaching the ground. The U.S. West is also currently in the middle of a "megadrought," making it easier for the fires to spread.
Fire crews are currently working to extinguish the wildfires.
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Justin Sullivan/Staff, the Salt Fire in Lakehead, California
Kayla Koslosky is the former Editor of ChristianHeadlines.com. She has B.A. degrees in English and History and previously wrote for and was the managing editor of the Yellow Jacket newspaper. She has also contributed to IBelieve.com and Crosswalk.com.
