Western wildfires calm down in cool weather, but losses grow
A firefighter uses a drip torch to ignite vegetation while trying to stop the Dixie Fire from spreading in Lassen National Forest, Calif., on Monday, July 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
July 27, 2021 - 4:57 PM
INDIAN FALLS, Calif. (AP) â Cooler weather on Tuesday helped calm two gigantic wildfires in the U.S. West, but a tally of property losses mounted as authorities got better access to a tiny California community savaged by flames last weekend and to a remote area of southern Oregon where the nation's largest blaze is burning.
Scientists say evidence shows Oregon's Bootleg Fire generated its own âfire tornadoâ this month, with winds higher than 111 mph (179 kph). The rare phenomenon is associated with extreme fire behavior spawned by dry, hot conditions, experts said.extreme fire behavior