US: Wildfires spreading in Western states August 12-13 /update 1

Event

Several significant wildfires have been reported in Western states on Wednesday, August 12, and Thursday, August 13, including California, Oregon, and Colorado, as hot, dry, and windy weather is providing high-risk conditions for fires. Among the hundreds of active wildfires across the West, two of the most concerning are in Colorado. The Pine Gulch fire outside Grand Junction continued to spread overnight Wednesday and has increased to over 68,000 acres (27,519 hectares). Whilst in a remote location, the fire has been burning since July 31 and remains only seven percent contained. Firefighters have managed to keep the flames from crossing a key road, which if it had done so would have threatened residences and oil and gas operations. The nearby Grizzly Creek fire, outside Glenwood Springs, is smaller but has led to evacuations and road closures. Interstate 70 has been closed by the fire between Glenwood Springs and Gypsum. Residents in the No Name, Lookout Mountain, and Coulter Creek areas east of Glenwood Springs have been evacuated, whilst evacuation orders had been issued for residents along Buck Point Drive in Eagle County, before being lifted on Wednesday night.

Lake Fire in Los Angeles County (California), which broke out on Wednesday, has grown to 10,500 acres (4250 hectares) by Thursday morning (local time), with zero percent containment. More than 5000 structures are reportedly under threat from the fire and three have been destroyed. Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for areas covering approximately 100 homes in the Hughes Lake area, between Santa Clarita and Palmdale. Fire department officials have warned that it is expected to be a major fire for several days.

In Oregon, the 500-acre (202-hectare) Mosier fire in Mosier Creek has led to evacuation orders being issued for several nearby homes and hundreds being warned to prepare to evacuate due to possible further spread of the fire. Late on Wednesday Oregon Governor Kate brown actioned the Emergency Conflagration Act to allow fire departments from around the state to share resources to tackle the blaze.

Red flag warnings are in place across the Rockies and heat watches and warnings have been issued in areas of Oregon, California, and Arizona on Thursday, with temperatures set to reach up to 120°F (49°C). Due to the conditions, the further spread of fires is likely over the near term. An emergency response presence and localized transportation disruptions, namely road closures, should be anticipated in the affected areas.

Advice

Those in the vicinity of the fires are advised to monitor the situation, avoid the area, and adhere to all instructions issued by the local authorities.