[ad_1]
Firefighters were working in extreme temperatures in the western United States and struggling to contain the wildfires, the biggest blaze in California and Oregon, as another heatwave raged through the region, putting severe testing electrical networks.
California’s biggest wildfire of the year – the Beckwourth Complex – raged along the Nevada state border and burned approximately 134 square miles (348 square kilometers) as state regulators asked consumers to voluntarily “conserve as much electricity as possible” to avoid any blackouts from Monday afternoon.
In Oregon, the Bootleg Fire exploded to 224 square miles (580 square kilometers) as it traversed heavy wood in the Fremont-Winema National Forest near the town of Sprague River in Klamath County. The fire interrupted service on three transmission lines providing up to 5,500 megawatts of electricity to neighboring California.
A wildfire in Southeast Washington reached nearly 60 square miles while in Idaho Governor Brad Little mobilized the National Guard to help fight fires started after thunderstorms swept through the area hit by drought.
The fires come as the West is in the midst of a second extreme heat wave in just weeks and the entire region suffers from one of the worst droughts in recent history. The extreme heat warnings in California were finally due to expire on Monday evening.
On Sunday, firefighters working in temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) were able to gain traction on the Beckwourth complex, doubling the containment to 20%.
Late Saturday, flames jumped to US 395, which was shut down near the small town of Doyle in Lassen County, California. The lanes reopened on Sunday and authorities urged motorists to exercise caution and continue to follow the key north-south road where the flames were still active.
“Don’t stop to take pictures,” said fire operations section chief Jake Cagle. “You’re going to hamper our operations if you stop and watch what’s going on. “
Cagle said structures burned down in Doyle, but he did not have an exact number. Bob Prary, who runs the Buck-Inn Bar in the town of about 600 residents, said he saw at least six homes destroyed after Saturday’s outbreak. The blaze was brewing in and around Doyle on Sunday, but he feared some remote ranch properties were still in danger.
“It looks like the worst has passed in town, but back on the mountainside the fire is still going strong,” Prary said.
A new fire broke out on Sunday afternoon in the Sierra Nevada south of Yosemite National Park and covered more than 15.5 square kilometers in the evening, triggering evacuations in areas of two counties. Containment was only 5% but the highway leading to the southern entrance to the park remained open Monday morning.
In Arizona, a small plane crashed Saturday during an investigation into a wildfire in rural Mohave County, killing both crew members.
The Beech C-90 aircraft was assisting in reconnaissance over the Cedar Basin lightning fire near the small community of Wikieup northwest of Phoenix.
Authorities identified the victims on Sunday as Air Tactical Group Supervisor Jeff Piechura, 62, a retired Tucson area fire chief who worked for the Coronado National Forest, and Matthew Miller, 48, a contracted Falcon Executive Aviation pilot with the US Forest Service. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the accident.
A wildfire in southeast Washington had burned nearly 60 square miles (155 square kilometers) blackening grass and wood as it moved through the Umatilla National Forest.
In Idaho, Gov. Brad Little declared a wildfire emergency on Friday and mobilized the State National Guard to help fight the fires started after thunderstorms swept through the fire-stricken region. drought.
[ad_2]
Source link