Oregon wildfire forces hundreds to flee from homes

Reuters Videos
3 年前

A swiftly spreading wildfire raged through parts of Oregon for a ninth day on Wednesday, and officials say it shows little sign of slowing.

The so-called Bootleg Fire has displaced hundreds of residents and still threatens nearly 2,000 homes.

No serious injuries or deaths have been reported.

By early Wednesday morning, state and federal officials said the fire had scorched more than 200,000 acres and destroyed more than 20 homes.

Meanwhile, firefighters have contained just five percent of its perimeter.

The Bootleg is by far the largest of 10 active wildfires burning across the Pacific Northwest, amid a record-shattering heatwave and a prolonged drought.

Its most unchecked around the Fremont-Winema National Forest about 250 miles south of Portland.

More than 1,300 personnel were deployed to battle the wildfire, the seventh largest in Oregon’s history, according to state forestry data.

Last year, dozens of late-summer fires killed nearly 40 people and charred over 10 million acres in California, Oregon and Washington state.