Crews also battled major blazes in northeast Washington and northern Idaho.
Nearly 22,000 firefighters and support personnel were battling 91 large, active wildfires covering 2,813 square miles in mostly western states, the National Interagency Fire Center said.
A historic drought and recent heat waves tied to climate change have made wildfires harder to fight in the American West. Scientists say climate change has made the region much warmer and drier in the past 30 years and will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive.
The U.S. Drought Monitor reported last week that while a robust monsoon has delivered drought-easing rainfall to the Southwest, critically dry conditions persist across Northern California and the Northwest, where there has been an expansion of âexceptional drought,â the worst category.
Wildfires, Heat Waves and Floods: Climate Change News
nytimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nytimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Evacuations lifted as progress made against western wildfires in U S
cp24.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from cp24.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Wildfire-ravaged West now faces thunderstorms, possible flooding
recordnet.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from recordnet.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.