- Title: Oregon blaze threatens 2,000 homes as new wildfires erupt in western states
- Date: 15th July 2021
- Summary: NESPELEM, WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES (JULY 14, 2021) (REUTERS) SMOKE RISING FROM THE CHUWEAH CREEK FIRE VARIOUS OF AIRPLANE DROPPING FIRE RETARDANT
- Embargoed: 29th July 2021 20:56
- Keywords: Bootleg NOAA Oregon Washington Wildfires fires
- Location: UNKNOWN LOCATION, OREGON / NESPELEM, WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES
- City: UNKNOWN LOCATION, OREGON / NESPELEM, WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Environment,United States
- Reuters ID: LVA001ELYDZRB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Firefighters struggled on Thursday (July 15) to contain a massive Oregon fire that has displaced hundreds of residents, as new blazes erupted in neighboring states in an unusually early start to the western wildfire season.
More than 1,700 personnel, aided by 12 helicopters, increased containment lines around the Bootleg fire to 7% from 5% on Wednesday, as the swiftly moving blaze threatened nearly 2,000 homes, according to inter-agency InciWeb.
The fire, which has been burning in and around the Fremont-Winema National Forest, about 250 miles (400 km) south of Portland, since July 6, spread over another 12,000 acres overnight to more than 227,000 acres (91,860 hectares), InciWeb said.
In Washington, meanwhile, officials said they had contained about 20% of the Chuweah Creek fire near Nespelem, about 175 miles (281.6 km) east northeast of Seattle, which has burned some 22,900 acres (9,270 hectares) mostly on the Confederated Tribes' Colville Reservation.
The blaze, caused by lightning and first reported on Monday, has been fueled by dry grass and timber with gusty winds as firefighters used planes and helicopters to drop water and fire retardant on it.
(Production: David Ryder) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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