Photos: Fire crews battle massive blazes across US West

Dozens of active fires in California, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and other states in the western United States have ravaged more than 3,100 sq km (1,200sq miles), highlighting the devastating effects of a two-decade-plus drought that has left the region parched.

Dense smoke blanketed towns in southwestern Oregon, including the popular outdoor tourism gateway of Bend, as the Cedar Creek Fire continued to grow this week.

The blaze had consumed 155,297 acres (62,846 hectares) as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the Oregon State Fire Marshal, but was only 15 percent contained. Evacuations were ordered for a few Oregon counties, although some orders were eased amid cooler weather and gentler winds.

The inferno – which began back in early August – has turned skies an eerie orange, as more than 1,200 firefighters and other personnel converged on the steep mountainous terrain, much of it in US national forest land and hard to reach.

Scientists have said the long-term drought seen in the country’s western region has been worsened by climate change. Much of the countryside is parched, creating conditions for hot, fast and destructive wildfires.

R&I – FS

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Article URL : https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2022/9/14/photos-fire-crews-battle-massive-blazes-across-us-west