Oregon wildfire reaches half the size of Rhode Island

OREGON STATE FIRE MARSHAL/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS/ARCHIVE PHOTO

A firefighter works to extinguish the Lone Rock Fire burning in Spray, Oregon, on July 21, in this screenshot obtained from video. Wind and lightning strikes have sparked and fanned wildfires across the Pacific Northwest this week, including the largest fire in the United States, near the Oregon-Idaho border, which grew rapidly today, fire officials said.

Wind and lightning have sparked and fanned wildfires in the Pacific Northwest this week, with the largest fire in the United States, near the Oregon-Idaho border, raging rapidly today, fire officials said.

The Durkee Fire near Huntington, Oregon, about 100 miles north of Boise, Idaho, has burned 600 square miles, an area covering more than half of Rhode Island’s land mass. It has threatened several towns.

The fire was sparked July 17 by lightning and winds of up to 60 mph that sent flames through brush, forest land and ranches, killing hundreds of cattle. The fire was only 20 percent contained today, officials said.

Firefighters could get help in the coming days, meteorologists said. While there is no chance of rain until next week, the wind has died down and cooler air is on the horizon, National Weather Service meteorologist Marc Chenard said.

“Hopefully it gives the firefighters a break,” he said.

As of Thursday, wildfires had burned nearly 2.5 million acres in Oregon and 300,000 acres in Washington this year, according to the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center in Portland, Oregon.

In 2020, the worst year in recent history, more than 1.14 million acres of land were burned by wildfires in Oregon, according to a tally by CBS TV station KOIN.

In California, the Park Fire, believed to have been started by an arsonist, has forced the evacuation of more than 4,000 residents of Butte County, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) northeast of Sacramento.

A suspect was arrested Thursday on charges of pushing a burning car through a bone-dry ravine.

According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the fire grew from 125,000 acres (49,000 hectares) overnight on Thursday to 164,200 acres (65,000 hectares) this morning.

“The biggest challenge on this fire is getting there,” said Fire Chief Dan Collins. “It’s steep country with almost no roads. It’s difficult to get our people and equipment to the fire lines.”

Forecasters warned that winds would reach 30 mph today and throughout the weekend. Combined with low humidity, it’s a recipe for rapid growth, officials said.