San Francisco
At least 17 people in Oregon, California and Washington have now died because of the devastating wildfires ravaging the West Coast, and the destruction is anticipated to worsen, according to Oregon Gov. Kate Brown.
There were dozens of active fires, with nearly 900,000 acres burned in the state as of early Thursday afternoon, according to the Oregon Office of Emergency Management. Those wildfires have scorched about 500 square miles since Monday.
Tens of thousands of residents have been evacuated, and the fires have destroyed thousands of structures, according to authorities.
“Over the last 24 hours, Oregon has experienced unprecedented fires, with devastating consequences across the state,” Brown said in a statement Thursday. “Our number-one priority right now is saving lives. This could be the greatest loss of human lives and property due to wildfires in our state’s history.”
The death toll rose sharply on Thursday evening as the Butte County, California, sheriff announced seven more deaths from the North Complex Fire — formerly known as the Bear Fire. There was also an additional death reported from the Slater Fire in Siskiyou County, California.
Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea also said 16 people remain unaccounted for. So far at least four deaths have been reported in Oregon — two in Marion County in the Santiam Fire and two in the town of Medford in the Almeda Fire.
The Almeda Fire, in Jackson County in the southern part of the state, has devastated the towns of Phoenix and Talent, where hundreds of homes and businesses are destroyed. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office said more deaths are expected.
Jackson County Sheriff Nate Sickler said a criminal investigation has been launched to determine the origin point of the Almeda Fire, where human remains were found.
Many of the fires in Oregon are still 0% contained, including the Beachie Creek and Riverside fires, which have burned more than 182,000 and 112,000 acres, respectively.
Other major fires include the Lionhead Fire, which is more than 109,000 acres and is 5% contained, and the Archie Creek Fire that has burned 68,000 acres and is only 1% contained.
In Clackamas County, Oregon, four fires have forced thousands to evacuate. The blazes there have destroyed 230 structures, including at least 16 homes, with another 600 threatened. The entire county is under some type of evacuation order.—AP
