Large Wildfires Spreading Across Western US...Alerts Issued in 12 States

"130,000 Soccer Fields Worth of Area Burned"... Fire Spreads to Canada
No Progress in Firefighting Amid Heatwave and Strong Winds

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Wildfires that started in Oregon, in the western United States, have spread across the entire western US and beyond the border into Canada, causing the scale of damage to snowball. So far, an area larger than 130,000 soccer fields has burned, and the highest level of alert has been issued across 12 western states.

According to foreign media such as CNN on the 15th (local time), the wildfires that began last week in Oregon are continuing to spread, driven by strong winds. US firefighting authorities have raised the fire alert to the highest level in 12 western states, and Canadian authorities, where the fire has spread, are reportedly deploying the military to suppress the fires.

Oregon authorities reported that the Bootleg Fire, the epicenter of the wildfire south of Portland, Oregon, has so far engulfed approximately 919㎢, equivalent to the size of 130,000 soccer fields. According to the Associated Press, 21 homes have been completely destroyed in Oregon, about 2,000 homes are at risk of damage, and around 2,000 residents have been evacuated.

In California, the wildfire has approached near the city of Paradise. Overnight, the size of the wildfire doubled, but there has been no progress in fire suppression so far. To date, the wildfire has burned about 9㎢ near Feather River Canyon north of Paradise and is reported to be moving toward the Plumas National Forest area.

In British Columbia, Canada, where the wildfire has spread, the military has been deployed to evacuate local residents. So far, 309 large and small wildfires have occurred in this area, with 23 fires reported in just the past two days.