Wildfires Threaten Homes in Oregon, California
Thousands of residents in Northern California’s wine country and central Oregon were under evacuation orders or warnings this weekend as firefighters battled fast-moving wildfires amid hot, dry conditions.
In California, the Pickett Fire has burned roughly 10 square miles in Napa County and was only 11% contained by Sunday evening, according to Cal Fire. The blaze, located near Aetna Springs and Pope Valley—about 80 miles north of San Francisco—prompted evacuation orders for 150 people and warnings for another 360. Approximately 500 structures are at risk, Cal Fire spokesperson Jason Clay said.
Meanwhile in Oregon, the Flat Fire—spanning 29 square miles across Deschutes and Jefferson counties—led to evacuation alerts for around 4,000 homes. About 1,000 of those were under mandatory evacuation orders as of Sunday, according to the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office.
The fires come amid a major heat wave affecting the western U.S., pushing temperatures to dangerous levels across Washington, Oregon, Southern California, Nevada, and Arizona. Some residents have required hospitalization due to the extreme heat.
The Pickett Fire ignited in the same region as the devastating 2020 Glass Fire, which burned 105 square miles and destroyed over 1,500 structures. Unlike the wind-driven Glass Fire, the current fire is spreading through dry vegetation and steep terrain—much of it made up of dead trees left by the earlier blaze and newly dried-out grass and brush.
About Post Author
