Spokane, Washington — A dangerous wildfire outbreak is spreading across the drought-stricken West, where more than 40 major fires are burning as crews also battle over 100 active blazes in western Canada.
Near Reno, Nevada, the Bug Fire has already charred more than 15,000 acres, pushing close to residential areas and prompting thousands of people to leave their homes over the weekend.
In Utah, the firefighting effort turned deadly Friday when two pilots were killed in a helicopter crash while working the Widemouth 2 Fire, a massive blaze that has expanded beyond 100,000 acres.
Across the border in British Columbia, Canada, just north of Washington state, the Bald Range Fire continued to burn out of control and nearly doubled in size overnight as residents fled. More than 20,000 people in the Summerland area, about 150 miles east of Vancouver, were placed under evacuation orders, and officials said some residents required rescue.
“Aerial response teams were converted to emergency evacuation personnel,” said Ravi Parmar, minister of forests of British Columbia. “Eighteen of our aircraft were used to rescue more than 50 individuals.”
British Columbia declared a province-wide state of emergency on Saturday as fierce winds and long-running drought conditions fueled more than 100 wildfires across the province.
Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP
In Washington, wildfires near Spokane last week underscored how rapidly the situation can turn destructive, with flames wiping out nearly 1,000 structures.
Some evacuation orders in the Spokane area were relaxed Sunday, though the neighborhoods that suffered the worst damage remain off-limits as firefighters continue searching for lingering hot spots.
Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels said authorities were doing everything they could to get people back in their homes “as soon and as safe as possible.”
Officials have not said exactly when families in the hardest-hit areas can go home. Crews are still monitoring for hot spots and removing hazardous materials.
