[ad_1]
MARKLEEVILLE, Calif. (AP) – A rapidly growing wildfire south of Lake Tahoe has forced the evacuation of a mountain town and the cancellation of an extreme bike ride through the Sierra Nevada, leaving thousands runners and spectators stranded on Saturday.
The Tamarack Fire, which was triggered by lightning on July 4, exploded overnight to about 10 square miles (26 square kilometers) and was burning near the small town of Markleeville, near the California border and Nevada. He destroyed at least 3 structures, authorities said. A notice posted on the 103-mile (165-kilometer) Death Ride website said several communities in the area had been evacuated and ordered all riders to evacuate immediately as well.
Meanwhile, the largest wildfire in the United States – burning in southern Oregon – escalated dramatically overnight as dry and windy conditions set in the area, but containment of the Hell has more than tripled as firefighters began to gain more control, authorities said on Saturday.
The Bootleg fire reached 427 square miles (1,105 square kilometers) and was just one of many fires that burned across the drought-stricken western United States as new fires emerged or were growing rapidly in Oregon and California. There have been 70 large active fires and multiple complex fires that have burned nearly 1,659 square miles (4,297 square kilometers) in the United States, the National Interagency Fire Center said.
A fire in the mountains of northeastern Oregon was also growing rapidly, measuring 15 square miles (39 square kilometers) on Saturday. The Elbow Creek fire started Thursday and caused evacuations in several small rural communities around the Grande Ronde River about 50 kilometers southeast of Walla Walla, Wash.
In southern Oregon, fire crews had to contend with dangerous and extreme fire conditions, including huge “clouds of fire” rising up to 10 kilometers above of the fire. Earlier in the week, firefighters had to retreat after one of those clouds began to collapse, threatening them with strong downdrafts and flying embers.
The Bootleg Fire destroyed at least 67 homes and 117 outbuildings and the flames are increasing up to 4 miles (6 kilometers) per day.
The blaze has forced 2,000 people to evacuate and threatens 5,000 buildings, including homes and smaller structures in a rural area just north of the California border. Oregon’s main fire was 22% contained.
A Red Flag weather warning was issued for the region until Saturday evening.
Extremely dry conditions and heat waves linked to climate change swept through the region, making forest fires more difficult to fight. Climate change has made the West much hotter and drier over the past 30 years and will continue to make weather more extreme and forest fires more frequent and destructive.
Firefighters said in July they were facing conditions more typical of late summer or fall.
[ad_2]
Source link