A wildfire near a popular vacation destination in Oregon’s high desert has been spreading rapidly since erupting on Tuesday, forcing hundreds of families out of heir homes and businesses.
The fire exploded near the popular vacation destination of Bend in central Oregon, an area known for its microbreweries, hiking, river rafting and skiing on nearby Mount Bachelor.
The wind-driven Darlene 3 wildfire was just outside city limits of La Pine, about 30 miles (48km) south of Bend and grew to nearly nearly 4,000 acres (1,618 hectares) by Thursday morning.
Firefighters were able to build a defense around the fire and fire managers, and were able to keep the fire at 30% contained. But strong, dry winds continued to worry firefighting crews.
Evacuation alerts were sent to 1,100 homes and businesses on Tuesday, and those orders remained in effect on Wednesday.
La Pine high school was serving as a temporary evacuation point while the La Pine Rodeo Grounds was hosting a livestock and small animal shelter.
The fire is among the latest of several dangerous blazes in the US. It is still early in the season of rising fire risks, but a proliferation of grass after a wet winter has left abundant fuel for fires.
These early season, fast-burning brush fires have spread quickly, consuming high amounts of acreage. With months left to go in what’s expected to be an active season across the region, the number of burned acres this year is already more than 40% higher than the 10-year average for this time of year.
Last week, thousands fled their homes in New Mexico as two fast-moving wildfires approached their village. Two people were killed, and officials have estimated around 1,500 structures were destroyed or damaged.
In the central area of California, a new group of three large wildfires and several smaller ones covered nearly 11 sq miles (28sq km) in rural eastern Fresno county, with 20% containment. The Fresno June Lightning Complex was ignited in rugged foothills as remnants of Tropical Storm Alberto flowed across the state on Monday afternoon.
“We had over a thousand lightning strikes to hit the county,” Dustin Hail, the California department of forestry and fire protection unit chief, said at a briefing, adding that other fires that have not yet shown themselves could emerge over several days.
Several areas were under evacuation orders or warnings, and a shelter was set up at a college.
In southern California, a fierce brush fire in San Diego closed parts of the I-5 highway on Monday afternoon.