US wildfires claim 15 lives, more than half a million people evacuated

The firefighters are having a tough time to douse the unprecedented wildfires that has wreaked havoc in the west coast of the US on Friday, September 11. As per reports, the wildfires claimed 15 lives and forced more than half a million people to flee their homes. The officials have warned that more fatalities are expected to come in the days ahead. According to the international media reports, the actual scale of destruction is quite difficult to measure as the flames shot up the temperatures and resulted in intense dry winds in California, Oregon, and Washington. In addition, the August Complex Fire became the biggest recorded blaze in Californian history on Thursday, as multiple infernos burnt through 746,000 acres of land destroying vegetation. 

READ: Oregon Wildfires Destroy Five Small Towns As 10,000 Residents Evacuated

2.6 million acres burnt

A Cal Fire spokesperson reportedly said that More than 2.6 million acres have been burned across the whole state so far. Nearly half a million people were rescued and taken to safety in neighboring Oregon as the firefighters battle a record 900,000 acres of wildfires. Governor Kate Brown was reported to have said that the amount of land burned down by fires in just the last 72 hours was twice the state's annual average, and that at least five towns had been "substantially destroyed." Five small towns have been destroyed in Oregon with close to 10,000 residents evacuated so far. The Governor approved an emergency conflagration declaration and has urged residents to listen to calls of evacuation by authorities in order to save their own lives and lives of rescue workers.  

READ: California Wildfires Take Ferocious Turn, Burn Across 40km Of Mountainous Terrain

"This past weekend, we experienced significant wind that is fueling wildfires with devastating consequences across Oregon, on top of a dire pandemic. In addition, I am asking all Oregonians to remain vigilant with any activity that could spark a wildfire during this historic wind event. We all need to do our part to help the many firefighters battling multiple fires across Oregon," Kate Brown said in a statement published on Oregon government's website. 

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away in California, which has been burning for more than three weeks now, things took an aggressive turn on September 9 as winds stroked the fire spreading it across an estimated 40 kilometers stretch. California Fire Dept on Monday issued a statement saying, "This year, wildfires have now burned over 2 million acres of forest land. There have been 8 fatalities so far and more than 3,300 structures destroyed in the state. Much of California is currently under a Red Flag Warning for strong, gusty winds and low humidity." 

READ: 'Evacuate Now:' Wildfires Grow In Oregon As 500K Flee

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Image: AP