Oregon and California fires blow up

The two biggest fires in the western region of the USA are the so-called Bootleg fire in southern Oregon and the Beckwourth fire in northeast California. There are many smaller fires in both states in addition to these two. The conditions are perfect for fires to grow fast in dense forests - excessively hot weather, high winds and a severe regional drought deemed an emergency in itself. Firefighters have been doing their work in weather up to 100 degrees F. (38C), lugging 40 lbs. of equipment and heavy protective clothing. Two firefighters have died in California. There are many evacuation orders throughout the mountainous areas of the fires. 

Here is a group of 1,200 volunteers in Oregon doing it the "old school" way. Before there were government fire agencies there were small town fire departments, loggers and other local volunteers. In past generations, the fires they fought were small and easy compared to the raging infernos we see now. This group is doing the work of building fire breaks with the hope they will help keep their area safe. However, since the new era of fire behavior is mainly spread by sparks traveling far ahead for the fire, and with explosive speed from treetop to treetop, this method does not seem adequate.



The Bootleg fire is about 25 miles (40km) northeast of Klamath Falls, Oregon. It's the largest fire in the state's history. The conditions were intense due to the fire tornados. Crews had to stand down and take cover. Source




California's Beckwourth fire is in Plumas County, 45 miles north of Lake Tahoe.




Here is a rough outline of the Oregon fire location.
Bootleg fire Approximate boundaries.kmz (935 B)

Terrible! - Hope it is in a safe dictance (25 miles(?!)) from you! 

The fire was at about 150,000 acres yesterday. Today, 202,000 and 0% contained. That's 82961 hectares. Here is a NOAA satellite shot of it today. Here is the site that wildland fire crews use to keep up with all reported fires: Inciweb. Scroll out to see all fires in the country. Scroll down to "Incident Overview" and click on the link to see the current area of the fire in pink. I don't know what the yellow and green sections signify.

I always like to check out global fire maps, too.