The Bootleg Fire in Oregon, one of several wildfires raging across the West, has grown to over 300,000 acres.
At nearly 475 square miles, according to Inciweb, the blaze is now slightly larger than the city of Los Angeles, which the United States Census Bureau says is about 469 square miles.
More than 2,100 personnel are engaged in battling the blaze, with the fire 25% contained, Inciweb reported Monday morning.
The large fire has been made all the worse by weather conditions, including record heat waves ravaging the Northwest.
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“Weather’s really against us. It’s going to be hot, it’s going to be dry, and air’s going to be unstable, which helps the heat raise faster, which brings in more air. All things that are negative for firefighters and positive for fire. So it’s going to be a real battle today,” Operations Section Chief John Flannigan, with the Oregon Department of Forestry, said during a Sunday briefing, according to CNN.
National Park Service fire spokeswoman Katy O’Hara told CNN that the blaze is so severe that it will likely continue throughout the summer, only stopping if there is inclement weather.
“We are experiencing extremely dry conditions, with record to near-record temperatures. Conditions on the ground due in part to the historic drought have accelerated the fire season. The combination of the weather and fuel conditions have led to rapid growth of the fire. The scope and scale of the Bootleg Fire will require a season-ending weather event, such as a significant storm that is either widespread wetting rain or snow, which in southern Oregon typically occurs in the late fall,” she said.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said in a media release that it had used the emergency alert system to evacuate residents in the path of the fire. Other residents were put on high alert, being told that they should be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice.
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Forest Service Chief Victoria Christiansen sent out a letter to regional firefighters outlining the dire situation firefighting services are facing, writing that not only are firefighters exhausted but also running out of resources.
“We are seeing severe fire behavior that resists control efforts. Further, the seasonal forecast for the entire Western United States remains extremes for the next several months. We expect demand for resources to outpace resource availability, and our workforce remains fatigued and in need of recovery,” she wrote.
