Historic wildfires from California to Washington are pushing first responders to the limit as they race to subdue the flames.
Hundreds of homes have been destroyed and more than 20 people are dead as officials from California to Washington grapple with out-of-control wildfires. During a Friday afternoon press conference, Director of the Oregon Office of Emergency Management Andrew Phelps said that the state was “preparing for a mass fatality incident.”
“We know we’re dealing with fire-related death, and we’re preparing for a mass fatality incident, based on what we know,” Phelps said.
More than 1,000 square miles in Washington have been engulfed by flames, and Oregon reported that more than 1,400 square miles have been burnt by wildfires this summer. In California, more than 5,000 square miles have been burnt in 2020 as the state experienced five of its 20 largest fires on record.
Speaking on Friday, Daniel Berlant, assistant deputy director at the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said firefighters are “gaining ground.”
“As weather conditions continue to improve, firefighters are gaining ground on a number of wildfires, many of which have been burning now for over a month,” Berlant said. “In northern California, that smoke layer will actually help us maintain some cooler temperatures.”
Berlant urged residents to remain on guard as the seasons change, noting that many of the worst fires in state history have occurred in September and October.
“Don’t let these cooler temperatures fool you,” Berlant said. “Historically, it is September and October when we experience our largest and most damaging wildfires.”
