Over the weekend, firefighter crews continued battling against wildfires that have destroyed dozens of homes in the West and forced hundreds to evacuate.
Calmer weather on Sunday, August 16 helped firefighters tighten their grip on the blazes, but dry, hot temperatures and low humidity is expected in the days ahead.
Temperatures will be five to seven degrees cooler in the early part of week, but will remain hot for most areas in the valleys and mountains, according to the National Weather Service. As high-pressure systems over Southern California weakens, clouds, fog, and lower temperature will continue for the rest of the week, with the coolest weather on Thursday, August 20.
In Washington, more crews, including some from the Washington National Guard, are being mobilized in the battle on Monday with several large fires threatening homes in the Chelan area in central Washington. The blazes have destroyed more than 50 structures, forced about 1,500 residents to flee and scorched more than 155 square miles.
Fire incident spokesman Wayne Patterson says air tankers have established lines to keep the flames from reaching downtown Chelan, a popular resort town.
“There were literally people on the beaches near that lake in their swimwear out on the lake right near it,” Patterson said.
In Oregon, higher humidity and lighter winds allowed crews to slow the spread of wildfires burning up eastern Oregon.
A lightning-sparked fire near John Day has grown to nearly 60 square miles and has destroyed at least 26 homes. Roughly 300 firefighters were assigned to the blaze over the weekend, with more on the way.
Improved weather conditions south of Baker City also helped firefighters make progress on the state’s largest wildfire. The blaze has charred almost 140 square miles and destroyed six homes.
In Colorado, lightning across the northwestern region is suspected of sparking about 30 fires over the weekend, keeping firefighters running from one blaze to another.
Many of the smaller fires have been contained. The largest of the wildfires is the Four Mile Fire, which has burned over 1,000 acres 20 miles north of Craig. It was 80 percent contained on Monday, August 17.
The Northwest Colorado Fire Management Unit says over 4,000 lightning strikes hit northwestern Colorado over the high-temperature weekend.
In California, a large fire north of San Francisco that has been burning for over a week has destroyed nine homes and charred more than 39 square miles
But with the improved weather, firefighters are gaining ground against the wildfire, with 85 percent containment reported Monday.
Fire officials say that over the weekend, smoke from the fire drifted into the San Francisco Bay Area and east of the city, where it was trapped in valleys for several days, causing hazy skies and poor air quality.
The fire is the second of two blazes that have charred land area near the dry Lower Lake. The first one, which was contained Friday after more than two weeks, destroyed 43 homes.
In Southern California, crews working through the night stopped the spread of two Los Angeles County fires that burned several structures, charred hundreds of acres of dry brush and led to the arson arrest of one person.
Three fires in the area simultaneously occurred Saturday and Sunday, with firefighters battling in the triple-digit heat.
A brush fire sparked near a riverbed in Montebello, a suburb east of downtown Los Angeles, halted operations at an oil field and prompted the evacuation of the Whittier Narrows Recreation Area. The fire, which grew to about 200 acres, is 60 percent contained on Monday.
Montebello authorities say a 45-year-old homeless man has been arrested on suspicion of arson. The causes of the other two fires were under investigation.
To the north, a wildfire that burned buildings at an abandoned rehabilitation center in rural Castaic has charred about 300 acres in Angeles National Forest. So far it is 10 percent contained.
Meanwhile, a 2-and-a-half-square-mile fire in the forest above the suburbs of Glendora and Azusa is 60 percent contained.
With the triple-digit heat over the weekend, over 2 million visitors steered clear from hometowns and brush fire warning areas, flocking instead to a cool ocean breeze at LA County beaches. (With reports from the Associated Press and Los Angeles Times)
