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A bear cub clings to a tree after being spotted by a safety officer at the Bootleg Fire in southern Oregon, Sunday. As more fire personnel moved into the area, the cub scurried down the tree trunk and later left after being offered water. (Bryan Daniels/Bootleg Fire Incident Command via AP)
BLY, OR Lower winds and better weather helped crews using bulldozers and helicopters battling the nation s largest wildfire in southern Oregon while a Northern California wildfire crossed into Nevada, prompting evacuations as blazes burn across the West.
Oregon s Bootleg Fire grew to 624 square miles over half the size of Rhode Island. However, authorities said higher humidity Wednesday and overnight and better conditions allowed crews to improve fire lines. The fire also was approaching an area burned by a previous fire on its active southeastern flank, raising hopes that a lack of fuel could reduce its spread and the forecast was for favorable firefighting weather again Thursday.