The smoke, which has created unhealthy to hazardous air quality, is expected to linger in the Tahoe Basin and Reno area through Monday, the weather service said. Nationally, 92 active large wildland fires have burned nearly 728,000 acres — the majority burning in northwestern states, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. it can fuel more volatile fires that burn hotter and longer. As numerous wildfires ravaged western states, air quality warnings were in effect across much of Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Skies turned orange and hazy in parts of Oregon over the weekend as winds blew smoke from multiple wildfires burning across the state. The smoke was so thick in Washington that it blocked some sunlight and created temperatures that were cooler than expected, according to the National Weather Service in Spokane. Smoke can irritate the eyes and lungs and worsen certain medical conditions. Those at highest risk are infants and young children, people with heart or lung disease, the elderly, and pregnant women. Many residents were told to stay indoors if possible, keep windows and doors closed and avoid vigorous outdoor activity. Recent studies have shown that exposure to both extreme heat and wildfire smoke at the same time can exacerbate health risks, and this is expected to become more of a threat, UCLA researchers said in a study published last month. “Increasing global temperatures and more frequent extreme heat events are expected to increase fire size and intensity, signaling an increasing threat to public health from co-exposure to thermal smoke,” the researchers wrote.
Where the fires burn
In Oregon — which had 19 active fires Monday, according to the Oregon Department of Emergency Management — the Cedar Creek Fire’s containment dropped from 12 percent to 0 percent as the fire exploded in size over the weekend, now consuming more than 86,000 acres in very steep and inaccessible terrain. A lightning storm on August 1 sparked the fire. Driven by strong easterly winds, triple-digit temperatures and dry fuels, the flames breached containment lines that firefighters had spent weeks trying to build. Evacuations were ordered in Lane and Deschutes counties as the fire grew, creating windswept tracks and threatening 2,230 homes and 443 commercial structures On Sunday, fire officials said the extreme weather of the past two days had subsided, temperatures had begun to drop and shifting winds had calmed. However, the fiery blaze is expected to continue through heavy fuel, officials said. As the wildfires tore through the parched lands, Oregonians were also experiencing power outages. Thousands of customers in Oregon, including those in suburban Portland, were without power for part of the weekend as Pacific Power implemented a public safety power outage to reduce the risk of fire as winds prevailed. In Washington, where 16 wildfires broke out on Monday, the National Weather Service warned of hazardous air quality in many areas across the state through Monday. In California, residents saw both record rainfall and record heat in the same week as Tropical Storm Kay made a rare pass near the state amid a record-breaking heat wave. Extended showers caused isolated flooding in some parts of Southern California, but also helped firefighters. With the help of plenty of moisture, rainfall and cooler temperatures, crews battling the Fairview Fire were able to contain the 28,307-acre blaze 53 percent by Monday. The fire — which broke out last Monday in Riverside County and grew rapidly — has killed two civilians and injured a third, destroyed 35 buildings and forced thousands to evacuate, according to Cal Fire. On Saturday, a pilot and two fire personnel were injured when a helicopter assigned to the Fairview Fire crashed into a residential yard while attempting to land at a local airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Some evacuation orders were reduced to warnings Sunday as scattered rains slowed the fire’s spread, officials said. Full containment of the fire was expected by Saturday, according to Cal Fire. To the north, the Mosquito Fire burning in both El Dorado and Placer counties had consumed 46,587 acres and was 10 percent contained as of Monday as thick smoke settled over the blaze. In Idaho, the Moose Fire, about 17 miles north of Salmon, was 125,925 acres Monday at 37 percent containment, according to Inciweb, a clearinghouse for U.S. wildfire information. Dry and unsettled conditions and possible gusty winds the next day could increase fire behavior, officials said. There was a marginal risk of excessive rainfall overnight for parts of Southern California, Arizona and New Mexico. On Monday, moisture in Southern California is forecast to spread north, bringing rain to northwestern Arizona before heading into Nevada by Tuesday. A flood watch is already in effect for eastern Nevada from Tuesday into Wednesday night, CNN meteorologist Robert Shackelford said. Meanwhile, isolated dry storms are possible for northern Nevada on Monday, which could spark new wildfires in the region, according to Shackelford. Also, eastern Montana is expected to see increased fire danger due to 15 mph winds and very dry air. CNN’s Tina Burnside, Michelle Watson and Eric Levenson contributed to this report.
