A huge wildfire was spreading out of control in the US state of Oregon on Monday, with parts of the American West remaining ravaged by various fires forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents, local authorities reported.
Nearly 35,000 hectares were destroyed by this fire, baptized Cedar Creek Firewhich quadrupled in size in four days and spans two central Oregon counties east of the city of Eugene, according to the National Wildfire Coordination Group (NWCG).
More than 2,000 homes and 400 commercial buildings are threatened by the fire and for the past few days the authorities have activated level three of their evacuation plan in certain areas, meaning that the danger in these places is imminent and that they must be evacuated immediately.
Hundreds of residents have already been ordered to evacuate and authorities have warned thousands more to prepare to follow them if needed.
Dense smoke enveloped the area, impairing air quality, according to the NWCG.
“Getting out of here as fast as possible was all I had in mind,” Herman Schimmel, a resident who recently moved to the area, told the newspaper. The Oregonian.
the Cedar Creek Fire progressed due to last week’s weather conditions combining easterly winds, high temperatures and drought.
Eight helicopters and more than 1,000 firefighters were trying to contain the fire, which broke out on August 1, on Monday.
On Sunday, firefighters focused on building flame barriers along existing roads. They indicated that it could take about a week.
The American West is suffering the consequences of more than two decades of devastating drought, exacerbated by climate change.
Currently, more than 90 fires are active across eight western US states, suffocating residents of major cities like Seattle, Washington.
The firefighters fight in particular the Fairview Fireon the outskirts of Los Angeles, and the Mosquito Fire around Sacramento.