80 Massive Wildfires Rip Through California, Oregon, Washington, Other Western States

Much of the Western United States has spent the week battling an estimated 80 wildfires spread across a number of states. California, Oregon and Washington State were among the nine western states engulfed in more than 2,200 square miles of fire, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

Officials said this wildfire season ranked among the worst in the United States in terms of the amount of land burned, according to the Denver Post. Fires were expected to continue in the western states until later in the fall.

Twenty-three fires of 300 acres or more hit California alone, KNBC reported. A single fire in Northern California destroyed some 72 houses, while around 2,200 people had to be evacuated from the area, the Associated Press reported Wednesday. Los Angeles County recorded its most immense wildfire in history: More than 7,000 acres had burned in the La Tuna fire as of Wednesday.

A separate fire ripped through a swath of 2,700-year-old giant sequoia trees near the state’s Yosemite National Park. The trees were left with scorch marks though they all survived thanks to their thick, fire-resistant bark, fire information officer Cheryl Chipman told the Associated Press.

A 16-square-mile fire that began Monday near Portland, Oregon prompted hundreds of home evacuations and ignited separate fires in Washington State. The United States Department of Defense said it planned to send 200 active duty soldiers to contain and fight fires in Washington.

Thirty miles of the Oregon’s Interstate 84 were shut down due to smoke, ash and flames in the area. Air quality levels in Spoke, Washington, ranked as “hazardous,” while the National Weather Service said it was likely to get even worse due to shifting winds.

Parts of Utah were engulfed in flames as well: more than 1,000 residents were evacuated north of Salt Lake City, while at least five homes were destroyed by the blaze.

Flames in the Western states produced so much smoke it could be seen spreading throughout the nation in images taken from space, the Washington Post reported Wednesday. The prolonged fires sparked health concerns for nearby residents.

“Last night, I went to sleep with the windows open and woke up with a stomachache and a headache,” Tresa Snow, an Oregon resident, told the Denver Post. “I knew before I could even smell it that the fire was back. And you can hear my voice, kind of raspy. We’re all kind of like that.”