LOS ANGELES, July 11, (AP): Authorities in Western states warned of the rising risk of wildfires as hot conditions and low humidity dry out the landscape amid a protracted heat wave that is expected to bake much of the US again Thursday.
California's top fire official said Wednesday that so far this year the state has responded to more than 3,500 wildfires that have scorched nearly 325 square miles (842 square kilometers) of vegetation - five times the average burned through July 10 in each of the past five years.
"We are not just in a fire season, but we are in a fire year,” Joe Tyler, director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said at a news conference. "Our winds and the recent heat wave have exacerbated the issue, consuming thousands of acres. So we need to be extra cautious.”
California crews working in scorching temperatures and single-digit humidity were battling at least 19 major wildfires Wednesday, including a stubborn 45-square-mile (117-square-kilometer) blaze that prompted evacuation orders for about 200 homes in the mountains of Santa Barbara County northwest of Los Angeles. Flames made fuel of tinder-dry brush and grass.
Several wildfires were also burning in Oregon, including one about 111 miles (178 kilometers) east of Portland that blew up to 11 square miles (28 square kilometers) Wednesday due to hot temperatures, gusty winds and low humidity, according to the state fire marshal.
Oregon Gov Tina Kotek issued an emergency authorization allowing additional resources to be deployed against fires breaking out as the state has seen record daily high temperatures. Portland reached 103 F (39.4 C) and Salem and Eugene hit 105 F (40.5 C) on Tuesday. The number of potentially heat-related deaths in Oregon rose to 10, according to the state medical examiner’s office.