Oregon wildfires set record for area burned
2024-08-10
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Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, August 10 (Xinhua) -- According to the Northwest Interdepartmental Coordination Center of the United States on August 9, the area burned by wildfires in Oregon, the United States, has reached a record high of 5,700 square kilometers so far this year. However, the peak wildfire season in mid-August each year is just about to begin.
Carol Connolly, spokeswoman for the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center, said the area burned by wildfires in Oregon this year is the largest since records began in 1992, surpassing the previous record set in 2020.
On August 6, firefighters worked on the ruins after a wildfire in San Bernardino, California, the United States. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Qiu Chen)According to the Associated Press, Oregon has seen 71 large wildfires this year, mainly in rural and mountainous areas, with some fires spreading to the Portland area. Connolly said that high temperatures, dryness and low humidity have exacerbated the spread of wildfires, which have burned down 32 houses.
The Durkey wildfire in eastern Oregon is the state's worst wildfire disaster so far this year, with a burnt area of more than 1,200 square kilometers. The wildfire was caused by lightning. According to data previously released by the Oregon Emergency Management Department, the Durkey wildfire has caused three injuries and destroyed 14 buildings. As of the 9th, the Durkey wildfire was basically under control.
On the 9th, due to a fire in the nearby forest, the small town of Cherry Grove, about 56 kilometers west of Portland, received an immediate evacuation notice. The wildfire burned an area of about 1.3 square kilometers. A spokesman for the local fire department said that as of that afternoon, the fire was not under control.
A wildfire near Oregon City caused the temporary closure of part of an interstate highway on the morning of the 9th, and the closed section was reopened that afternoon.
On August 6, firefighters worked on the ruins after a wildfire in San Bernardino, California, the United States. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Qiu Chen)Since June this year, the western United States has been hit by high temperatures and wildfires have broken out in many places. California is also currently experiencing the largest wildfire disaster this year. The Associated Press quoted researchers as saying that climate change has made the western United States and other parts of the world drier, and extreme wildfires are more frequent and more destructive. (Huang Aiping)
