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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
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Historic Wildfires Explode in Oregon, Tear Through in California

Escaping dozens of major fires burning near the fringes of major West Coast cities like Portland, Oregon, and Los Angeles, hundreds of thousands of people remained under evacuation orders Friday due to a relentless late-summer wildfire siege.

(CN) — Escaping dozens of major fires burning near the fringes of major West Coast cities like Portland, Oregon, and Los Angeles, hundreds of thousands of people remained under evacuation orders Friday due to a relentless late-summer wildfire siege.

With nearly 1 million acres charred already this week in Oregon, officials estimate 500,000 residents — over 10% of the state’s population — have fled their homes. Ignited during fierce winds at the beginning of the week, a variety of wildfires are threatening homes near Portland, Salem, Eugene and Medford.

Almost 40 fires have burned an area greater than the size of Rhode Island, nearly doubling the average annual statewide number of acres burned in just days.

The widespread evacuations, strained firefighting resources and hazardous air quality is stressing Oregon like never before, said Governor Kate Brown.

“We have never seen this amount of uncontained fire across our state,” Brown said in a press conference Thursday.

Currently the Beaver State’s largest blaze, the Lionshead Fire has burned 186,000 acres west of the Cascade mountains. The fire is 5% contained and has caused closures in Deschutes, Mt. Hood and Willamette national forests. Other fires over 100,000 acres include Beachie Creek, Holiday Farm, Riverside and Archie Creek.

Primed by warm, heavy wind gusts and feeding on dry brush, the Almeda Fire has been the most destructive Oregon blaze. Though just 5,700 acres, the Almeda Fire has killed 4 and claimed over 600 homes.  

The Almeda Fire started early Tuesday near the California state line and quickly spread north toward Medford, engulfing entire neighborhoods and mobile homes in smaller towns like Phoenix and Talent.

The Pacific Northwest fires have forced Oregonians to escape to Portland, where evacuation sites have been put up at convention centers, Portland International Airport and two state parks. Governor Brown has also requested federal disaster and firefighting relief to help with the crisis she says is fueled by climate change.

“This will not be a one-time event; unfortunately, it’s the bellwether of the future. We’re feeling the acute impacts of climate change,” said the Democratic governor.

California also remains in the throes of an historic wildfire season as fires continued to claim lives and property across the state.

Burning near the scar of the 2018 Camp Fire, the deadliest and most destructive blaze in state history, the Bear Fire remains a threat to the foothill communities near Lake Oroville. The fire is part of the North Complex, which has burned 252,000 acres and destroyed at least 2,000 structures in Plumas, Yuba and Butte counties. Officials said Thursday evening the Bear Fire has killed 10, with 16 still missing.

Sparked by a dry-lightning storm in mid-August, the North Complex is already the 10th largest wildfire in California’s recorded history, which dates back to 1932. According to the U.S. Forest Service, which is in charge of the incident, the complex is just 23% contained and critical fire conditions could return to the area by Sunday. 

From the side of a burned-out hillside in Butte County, California Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday warned the West Coast’s reality will soon be the rest of the country’s. He said he was exhausted and no longer interested in debating climate change, noting the state has seen temperatures over 120 degrees and dry-lightning storms over the last several weeks.

“California folks is America fast-forward,” Newsom told reporters while touring the North Complex. “What we’re experiencing right here is coming to communities all across the United States of America unless we get our act together on climate change; unless we disabuse ourselves from all the BS that’s being spewed by a very small group of people.” 

Meanwhile concern is growing over a blaze that has darkened skies in Los Angeles and put residents in San Gabriel Mountain cities like Pasadena and Monrovia on alert

The Bobcat Fire, which broke out last Sunday afternoon near the Cogswell Dam and West Fork Day Use area, doubled in size Thursday to 26,000 acres. The fire is burning through chaparral brush and tall grass in areas with little fire history, and gusty Santa Ana winds are expected to continue through the weekend.

To the north in Fresno County, the Creek Fire has grown to 175,000 acres in less than a week. Now the 17th largest in state history, the blaze churning through the Sierra National Forest has exhibited stunning behavior and produced traumatic escapes.

On Sept. 5, the supercharged fire produced enough heat and smoke to send a massive plume miles into the air that was spotted by commercial airline passengers and NASA satellites. The dense clouds, known as a pyrocumulonimbus, have been dubbed by NASA as the “fire-breathing dragon of clouds” and can resemble an atomic explosion.

The litany of fires has forced the total closure of all 18 national forests located in the state for the first time. Since the beginning of the year, nearly 4,000 structures have been destroyed.

While touring the fire, Newsom also signed a new law that will create a path for people who worked on inmate fire crews to gain jobs at state or local firefighting agencies. Under Assembly Bill 2147, formerly incarcerated firefighters can apply to have their criminal records expunged in order to apply for requisite training and licenses.   

“This legislation rights a historic wrong and recognizes the sacrifice of thousands of incarcerated people who have helped battle wildfires in our state, and I would like to thank the Legislature for passing this bill,” said Newsom.

Overall, 14,000 firefighters are battling six of the top 20 largest fires in state history in the Creek, North Complex, the August Complex (the largest on record at 471,000 acres), SCU Complex (396,000), LNU Complex (363,000) and the Elkhorn Fire (255,000). Over 3.1 million acres have burned in California, compared to just 135,000 acres in all of 2019.

Newsom said the state must immediately reassess its existing clean air and energy mandates and urged state officials to improve clean car initiatives and forest management tactics.

“The debate is over around climate change,” said Newsom.

The siege has millions on the West Coast breathing foul air, as according to air quality monitoring website IQAir.com, Portland had the most polluted air of any major city in the world Friday with an index of 239. Next was San Francisco and Seattle (193), Vancouver (168) and Los Angeles (156.)

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