Firefighters in Oregon are battling dozens of blazes with windy and dry conditions expected Friday and Saturday (AP) — Firefighters battling two of the largest blazes burning in Oregon were bracing for windy and dry conditions forecast to arrive in some areas of the state Friday and into Saturday. Crews have been able to build some containment lines around the Akawa Butte Fire, which is burning near Sisters, a town about 22 miles (35 kilometers) northwest of Bend.
Started by lightning on July 16, the fire has scorched 42 square miles (109 square kilometers) and destroyed two homes. It has been designated as the nation’s top priority wildfire because of its proximity to people. The designation will allow officials to tap into resources from other states and other countries, Oregon Gov.
Strong winds and low humidity were expected later Friday and Saturday and could lead to increased fire activity, officials warned. They urged residents to be prepared to evacuate if necessary. The National Weather Service issued a red-flag warning in central Oregon through Saturday, which means conditions such as low humidity, warm temperatures and strong winds can create an extreme wildfire risk.
The most critical period for Sisters, a town of 3,800 people about 3 miles (5 kilometers) south of the fire, will be the next 24 to 48 hours, said Sisters Mayor Jennifer Letz. She said about half of the town’s population has been told to be ready to leave if needed. “If we can get through this weekend, we will probably be in a good position moving forward.
But right now, we do have the north half of the city under orders to be prepared, to have a plan, to get their things together,” she said. There are more than 1,000 firefighters battling the blaze and more are expected to join them to help strengthen and expand containment lines. The blaze has shown extreme fire behavior, including 200-foot (61-meter) flame heights and a pyrocumulus cloud that generated its own lightning, Kotek said.
“This is all-hands-on-deck here in Oregon,” she said. It’s not Oregon’s only significant wildfire, making this an especially challenging period for emergency responders, she said. There are dozens more fires burning across the state, choking the air in Oregon and sending smoke across the country.
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