J. Mike Johnson Originally published on July 17, 2021 12:14 pm Dry and hot conditions persist in many parts of Oregon as fire officials predict a grueling weekend in the fight slow the spread of several fires. Nearly all of Oregon is in severe, extreme or “exceptional” drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, following extreme heat waves and dry conditions that started in late spring and early summer. Firefighters said they are working containment lines on the biggest fires in Oregon, and hoping those lines are enough to prevent windy conditions from spotting new fires. The largest fire in Oregon, and in the country, remains the Bootleg Fire, which had burned more than 281,000 acres by Saturday morning — an area larger than New York City — as it scorched across part of Klamath County and has now stretched into Lake County.