91 fires are now burning across the US, with Bootleg Fire in Oregon growing to more than 400,000 acres

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The center said that more than 1.8 million acres have burned since the fires broke out. More than 22,300 prairie firefighters and incident management teams are involved in the firefighting.

This year, 37,803 fires burned more than 3 million acres across the United States, according to the NIFC. During the same period in 2020, 32,059 fires burned a total of 2.1 million acres.

“With persistent high temperatures and extremely dry vegetation, it is important to stay informed of current and projected environmental conditions,” the NIFC said in its Sunday update. “Check fire restrictions and closures before you head out to enjoy your public lands. Now more than ever, we need your help to prevent wildfires.”

Idaho is the state with the most large fires, with 23. However, Oregon has the most acres burned: 554,587 of the 11 fires. The Bootleg Fire near the California border is solely responsible for burning 413,734 acres.

The Bootleg Fire is currently 74% contained and not expected to be fully contained until October 1, according to InciWeb, the US fire information group, and California’s Dixie Fire has reached 244,888 acres and is 32% contained, according to the Department of Forestry and Prevention California fires.

A total of 67 buildings were destroyed by the Dixie Fire, and an evacuation order remains in effect for the Bute Meadows, Jonesville and Philbrook Lake areas. No deaths have been reported at this time.

The Tamarack fire, which raged south of Lake Tahoe, is 84% ​​contained, according to InciWeb. It started July 4 due to a lightning strike, and most evacuation orders for the area have now been lifted.

Wildfires don’t just affect the mainland United States. The Mana Road fire on the north side of the Big Island of Hawaii has evacuated more than 7,000 people, according to Hawaii County Communications Director Cyrus Jonassen. The fire has burned more than 40,000 acres since it began Friday.

Jonassen told CNN by phone on Sunday that two homes have been destroyed so far.

Hopefully the rain will bring relief to the scorching western United States

The monsoon season has arrived in the west with mudslides, torrential rains and dust storms.

Monsoon moisture moving into the area may put out some fires, damp vegetation and dry soil, but it can also cause more dangerous conditions.

The National Weather Service’s office in Medford, Oregon, said: “Lightning and an elevated fire risk are likely to trigger new fires. Storm thunderstorms can contribute to the spread of fires. Despite rainfall, initial attack resources may be overwhelmed, and fires are likely to occur. retarded fires.

Red flag warnings were put in place across central and eastern Oregon for the weekend, as the possibility of thunderstorms sparked fears of more fires.

With the Bootleg Fire already spread over more than 400,000 acres of Oregon’s hills, the lightning and strong winds from seasonal thunderstorms can spark even more fires, further straining resources.

Rainfall may help control some fires in the area. But it will leave scorched earth prone to runoff and flooding.

Turkey’s forest fire death toll rises to 8

The United States is not the only country suffering from serious wildfires. For the second day in a row, more than 1,100 people were evacuated by sea from Bodrum’s tourist hotspot to escape the wildfires in Turkey burning along the Mediterranean coast.

“We have helped evacuate 1,140 people by 12 boats,” Orhan Dink, head of the Bodrum Maritime Chamber, told CNN on Sunday. “We also evacuated boats yesterday, but I’ve never seen anything like this before in this area. This is the first time,” he added.

While roads remain open and evacuations by land continue, evacuations by sea are helping to keep roads open to firefighters and ambulances, Dink said.

The death toll from forest fires in Turkey along the Mediterranean coast has risen to at least eight people killed Sunday, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.

Among the latest victims was a Turkish-German couple found in a home.

According to the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, 111 fires have broken out across the country since July 28. The ministry said six fires were still burning in three different cities.

CNN’s Aya El Amrousy, Chuck Johnston, Karen Smith, Essel Sarios, Sheriff Paget, Larry Register, Gul Tweezos, Hannah Gard and Halle Brink contributed to this report.

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