On Wednesday afternoon, thunderstorms caused strong winds and hundreds of lightning strikes in eastern Oregon and Idaho, leading to power outages and exacerbating wildfires. The wildfire in Oregon is the largest in the United States this year, burning nearly 270,000 acres of land in eastern Oregon. Additionally, wildfires in California have expanded significantly overnight.
The lightning-triggered Durkee Mountain Fire is the largest among the 31 large wildfires currently burning in Oregon, making it the hardest-hit region by wildfires in the past few days.
The Durkee Mountain Fire, located at the border of Oregon and Idaho, started burning last Wednesday. Extremely dry vegetation has allowed the fire to spread rapidly across tens of thousands of acres. As of Thursday morning, the fire remains uncontained and continues to spread.
On Wednesday, due to the impact of strong winds and thunderstorms, the wildfire once again led to the closure of a section of Highway 84. In the rapidly forming thunderstorm that afternoon, the wildfire crossed near the town of Huntington, where about 500 people reside. Governor Tina Kotek stated that the wildfire near Huntington has merged with another fire burning nearby, the Cow Valley Fire.
According to the Oregon Department of Emergency Management, three people were injured and multiple structures were destroyed as the wildfire spread. Local authorities have requested partial evacuations in the affected areas.
Governor Kotek announced in a press conference on Wednesday night that the wildfires in eastern Oregon are rapidly expanding, with some communities experiencing power outages. Resources have been deployed from the National Guard to assist.
Reports from the Associated Press indicate that the Durkee Mountain Fire exhibited extreme fire behavior over the weekend and earlier this week, even forming fire clouds.
Fire clouds are formed when air heated from the surface rises to high altitudes, where it condenses due to cooling, resulting in strong gusts at the surface that intensify the fire.
The Oregon Fire Department stated in a release on Wednesday, “Over the past week, firefighters have faced the challenges of hot temperatures and strong winds, which have been fueling several wildfires throughout the state.”
According to InciWeb data, over 500 firefighters and resources from 22 states are working to contain the wildfires.
The thick smoke from the wildfires is causing health issues for residents, leading to air quality alerts in parts of Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.
In California, the Park Fire has expanded to 45,000 acres, growing sevenfold overnight with containment at only 3%. This wildfire has forced evacuations in Butte County, where a wildfire in 2018 resulted in over 80 deaths.
Since igniting on Wednesday afternoon, the fire has been consuming nearly 50 football fields per minute on average. The high temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit and strong winds have contributed to the fire’s rapid spread.
Approaching Bidwell Park, California’s largest city park, the fire has destroyed buildings in the town, causing significant losses. Currently, the cause of the fire remains unknown.
According to CalFire, over 200 firefighters have been sent to the area to contain the blaze.