Western Wildfires 2021: Over 300K Acres Burning Across 6 States Amid 'Extreme' Fire Behavior

Six states across the western United States saw more than 300,000 acres of land burning Sunday as a devastating heat wave strained interstate power grids and resulted in the deaths of two firefighters.

The National Weather Service in Medford, Oregon, said that the biggest wildfire, the Bootleg Fire, is expected to grow further. It spans across 143,607 acres in Oregon and is yet to be contained.

Fire incident commander Al Lawson said the Bootleg Fire has “the most extreme” behavior yet among the wildfires that has blocked up to 4,000 megawatts of electricity in the region, USA Today reported.

Firefighters are working to contain smaller fires, including the Sugar Fire that reached 83,256 acres and was 8 percent contained as of Sunday.

The Dotta Fire, an estimated 670 acres, was 99 percent contained. It is part of the larger Beckwourth Complex Fire that has been less than 10 percent contained.

On Saturday, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) confirmed the death of two firefighters who were responding to a wildfire in Mohave County, Arizona.

Speaking with CBS affiliate KPHO-TV, BLM officials said the two firefighters were onboard an aerial command and control aircraft over the Cedar Basin Fire when the plane crashed.

An investigation has been launched into the crash to determine what caused the accident.

The Cedar Basin Fire has burned around 300 acres, CNN reported. It is located about 14 miles east of Wikieup and first started burning Friday.

In southeast Washington, four wildfires, including the formidable Dry Gulch Fire that has reached more than 46,000 acres in size, prompted a statewide ban on outdoor burning activities through September 30.

Meanwhile, the Beckwourth Complex Fire that has spanned more than 80,000 acres as of Sunday, continues to be a challenge for firefighters.

Reaching two states, California and Nevada, the Beckwourth Complex Fire prompted the deployment of almost 1,800 personnel to help contain the fire, NBC reported.

The said fire has set homes ablaze in Doyle, with assessment teams tallying the damage. The highway from State Route 70 to County Road A-26 was shut down on Saturday night to prevent accidents.

The fire has also forced about 3,000 people into evacuation orders, including residents of Lassen and Plumas counties, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Over in the Fremont-Winema National Forest, responders are still concerned about the impact of the blazing Bootleg Fire to Path 66.

CBS affiliate KPIX-TV reported that the blaze raised concerns about the fire’s threat to the electric line corridor that links Pacific Northwest suppliers to the California power grid.

Public Information Officer for the Oregon State Fire Marshal, Get Zoutendijk, said the Bootleg Fire is “doubling in size” every passing day.

The NWS in Medford has also urged residents in level 3 evacuation zones to leave the area as soon as possible.