Unprecedented wildfires consume 6.9 million acres in Western US

[CRAIG NIGRELLI] 

WILDFIRES ARE DEVASTATING THE WESTERN UNITED STATES. 70 MAJOR FIRES ARE SCORCHING THE LANDSCAPE FROM THE PACIFIC COAST TO THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. FUELED BY AN INTENSE HEAT WAVE AND RELENTLESS GUSTY WINDS — FORCING. TENS OF THOUSANDS TO FLEE THEIR HOMES.

THIS YEAR — WILDFIRES HAVE DEVOURED MORE THAN 6.9 MILLION ACRES NATIONWIDE. OREGON AND IDAHO ARE AMONG THE HARDEST HIT — WITH OREGON CURRENTLY BATTLING 24 MAJOR FIRES AND IDAHO FACING 22. FIREFIGHTERS ARE HOPEFUL THAT COOLER — WETTER WEATHER FORECASTED THIS WEEK WILL AID THEIR EFFORTS — THOUGH WINDY CONDITIONS CONTINUE TO CHALLENGE CONTAINMENT.

IN CALIFORNIA — THREE MASSIVE WILDFIRES ARE CAUSING WIDESPREAD DEVASTATION NEAR LOS ANGELES. THE LINE FIRE — STARTED BY ARSON — HAS ENGULFED OVER 34-THOUSAND ACRES IN THE SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAINS — THREATENING THOUSANDS OF HOMES AND PROMPTING EXTENSIVE EVACUATIONS.

AUTHORITIES HAVE ARRESTED 34-YEAR-OLD JUSTIN WAYNE HALSTENBERG — ACCUSING HIM OF IGNITING THE LINE FIRE.

FIREFIGHTING EFFORTS HAVE RAMPED UP ACROSS THE WEST — WITH TEAMS DEPLOYING BOTH GROUND AND AERIAL RESOURCES.

COLORADO FIREFIGHTING CREWS HAVE BEEN RECRUITED TO FIRES OUTSIDE THEIR STATE. MEMBERS FROM SOUTH METRO FIRE RESCUE ARE CURRENTLY ASSISTING WITH IDAHO’S EXPANSIVE SNAG FIRE — WHICH HAS CONSUMED OVER 33-THOUSAND ACRES. MEANWHILE — PERSONNEL FROM POUDRE (POO-DER) FIRE AUTHORITY ARE EN ROUTE TO CALIFORNIA TO HELP COMBAT THE BRIDGE FIRE IN ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST.

BACK IN COLORADO, XCEL ENERGY IS CONSIDERING PREEMPTIVE POWER SHUTOFFS IN WESTERN PARTS OF THE STATE AS EARLY AS THURSDAY TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT FROM SPARKING NEW FIRES.

RESIDENTS ARE ADVISED TO PREPARE FOR POTENTIAL OUTAGES BY CHARGING ESSENTIAL DEVICES AND ASSEMBLING EMERGENCY KITS.

FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THESE WILDFIRES — VISIT US AT STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS ONLINE OR DOWNLOAD OUR APP FOR THE LATEST UPDATES.