Portland: Forest fire In Oregon Burned more Acre Land use in 2024 will be higher than any year before, from reliable sources record Fire season is still expected to peak in mid-August, officials said Friday.
Blazez Northwest Interagency Coordination Center spokeswoman Carol Connolly said fires have burned more than 1.4 million acres, or about 2,200 square miles (5,700 square kilometers). That's more than any other year since 1992, when reliable records began to be kept, and surpasses the previous record set in 2020, she said.
Connolly said 71 major fires have burned large swaths of land this year. A major fire is defined as one that burns more than 100 acres (40 hectares) of timber or more than 300 acres (120 hectares) of grass or shrubland.
He said 32 houses in the state were hit by the fire, which was fuelled by high temperatures, dry weather and low humidity.
He has inspired Exhaust Notices were posted across the state and the fires were largely in rural and mountainous areas, though a few fires were burning near the Portland metro area as well.
The small town of Cherry Grove, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) west of Portland, issued Level 3 “go now” evacuation notices Friday as a nearby wildfire raged. Most residents evacuated their homes after officers went door-to-door encouraging people to get out, said Deputy David Huey of the Washington County Sheriff's Office.
Airplanes and helicopters were bringing in water from nearby Henry Haag Lake to douse the fire, Gaston Rural Fire District spokesman Gert Zoutendijk said. The lake was closed to the public through the weekend.
As of Friday afternoon, the fire had grown to about 0.5 square miles (1.3 square kilometers) and was beyond containment, Zoutendyk said, though crews had made progress in containing the blaze.
Another fire near Oregon City, a Portland suburb, forced officials to temporarily close a section of a state highway in the morning and issue “go now” evacuation orders along a portion of the route. By mid-afternoon, officials had eased the evacuation and reopened the highway.
The largest blaze is the Durkee Fire in eastern Oregon, which has scorched more than 459 square miles (1,200 square kilometers) but was at least 95% contained as of Friday, according to officials. At one point it was the nation's largest fire.
The Park Fire has become California's largest blaze ever recorded, burning more than 660 square miles (1,710 square kilometers) and destroying more than 600 structures. A man was arrested and accused of starting a fire by pushing a burning car into a creek in a forest park outside the Sacramento Valley city of Chico.
Also in California, the Crozier Fire in El Dorado County has burned about 3 square miles (7.7 square kilometers) and was 5% contained as of Friday evening, according to Cal Fire. The fire is burning on steep and rugged terrain and threatens 4,017 buildings. The weather is expected to remain hot and dry through the weekend.
Some of the fires in Oregon's previous record-worst year, 2020, were among the worst natural disasters in state history. Fires over Labor Day weekend killed nine people, burned more than 1,875 square miles (4,860 square kilometers) and destroyed thousands of homes and other structures.
Blazez Northwest Interagency Coordination Center spokeswoman Carol Connolly said fires have burned more than 1.4 million acres, or about 2,200 square miles (5,700 square kilometers). That's more than any other year since 1992, when reliable records began to be kept, and surpasses the previous record set in 2020, she said.
Connolly said 71 major fires have burned large swaths of land this year. A major fire is defined as one that burns more than 100 acres (40 hectares) of timber or more than 300 acres (120 hectares) of grass or shrubland.
He said 32 houses in the state were hit by the fire, which was fuelled by high temperatures, dry weather and low humidity.
He has inspired Exhaust Notices were posted across the state and the fires were largely in rural and mountainous areas, though a few fires were burning near the Portland metro area as well.
The small town of Cherry Grove, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) west of Portland, issued Level 3 “go now” evacuation notices Friday as a nearby wildfire raged. Most residents evacuated their homes after officers went door-to-door encouraging people to get out, said Deputy David Huey of the Washington County Sheriff's Office.
Airplanes and helicopters were bringing in water from nearby Henry Haag Lake to douse the fire, Gaston Rural Fire District spokesman Gert Zoutendijk said. The lake was closed to the public through the weekend.
As of Friday afternoon, the fire had grown to about 0.5 square miles (1.3 square kilometers) and was beyond containment, Zoutendyk said, though crews had made progress in containing the blaze.
Another fire near Oregon City, a Portland suburb, forced officials to temporarily close a section of a state highway in the morning and issue “go now” evacuation orders along a portion of the route. By mid-afternoon, officials had eased the evacuation and reopened the highway.
The largest blaze is the Durkee Fire in eastern Oregon, which has scorched more than 459 square miles (1,200 square kilometers) but was at least 95% contained as of Friday, according to officials. At one point it was the nation's largest fire.
The Park Fire has become California's largest blaze ever recorded, burning more than 660 square miles (1,710 square kilometers) and destroying more than 600 structures. A man was arrested and accused of starting a fire by pushing a burning car into a creek in a forest park outside the Sacramento Valley city of Chico.
Also in California, the Crozier Fire in El Dorado County has burned about 3 square miles (7.7 square kilometers) and was 5% contained as of Friday evening, according to Cal Fire. The fire is burning on steep and rugged terrain and threatens 4,017 buildings. The weather is expected to remain hot and dry through the weekend.
Some of the fires in Oregon's previous record-worst year, 2020, were among the worst natural disasters in state history. Fires over Labor Day weekend killed nine people, burned more than 1,875 square miles (4,860 square kilometers) and destroyed thousands of homes and other structures.