Extreme heat gripping the West is spurring wildfires across California, Oregon and Idaho.
Driving the news: Oregon's Bootleg fire was threatening transmission lines that supply California with power after doubling in size to 120 square miles on Saturday, while a huge wildfire in Northern California's Plumas National Forest "generated its own lightning," per the Los Angeles Times.
Sunrise uncovers streams of smoke from several large wildfires in the #PacNW this morning. #orwx #wawx pic.twitter.com/bNcoNQpyMx
— NWS Pendleton (@NWSPendleton) July 10, 2021
Threat level: The California blaze, the combination of two fires in the Plumas National Forest known as the Beckwourth Complex, saw the evacuation of 2,800 people and the closure of the forest, AP notes.
- The complex's Sugar fire has burned across 54,421 acres and was 8% contained Saturday, per the L.A. Times. Its other blaze, the Dotta fire, has razed 670 acres and was 80% contained.
- The southern Oregon wildfire triggered mandatory evacuations as it threatened some 3,000 homes, CBS News reports.
- A brush fire in Southern California's eastern San Diego County saw two Native American reservations evacuated on Saturday.
- There were also evacuations in the small, remote community of Dixie in north-central Idaho, according to AP.
The big picture: California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday built on his emergency proclamation made a day earlier to free up additional energy capacity.
- Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) issued an emergency declaration for wildfire on Friday that mobilized National Guard firefighters and aircraft to assist in firefighting efforts.