Fires are raging across California, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and other states. The blazes in California are starting to come under firefighters’ control, thanks to help from prisoners recruited to fight the blazes. Meanwhile, the Soda Fire on the Idaho-Oregon border surpasses 270,000 acres, according to InciWeb, and is now the largest fire in the nation. Fires are being attributed to widespread droughts. (Getty)
Fires are raging across California, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and other states. The Soda Fire on the Idaho-Oregon border has become the largest fire in the United States at over 277,000 acres, forcing many people to evacuate. In California, meanwhile, prisoners are being enlisted to help fight many of the fires. Residents near these fires are staying updated on the blazes’ spread through the government website, InciWeb.
Here’s what you need to know.
1. The Soda Fire in Idaho Has Become the Largest Fire In the Nation
The Soda Fire on the Idaho-Oregon border is raging across more than 270,000 acres and is now the largest fire in the nation, according to The Guardian. In Owyhee County, residents on the southern side of the fire are being recommended to evacuate. The fire is threatening land that ranchers need for feeding cattle, along with land that the sage grouse lives on — a bird being considered for federal protection, The Guardian reported.
2. Wildfires in Multiple States Are Forcing Evacuations
#CabinFire UPDATE: Fire burning in hills north of Glendora has spread to 2,500 acres http://t.co/3fHkujRJEB http://t.co/SuLURj0CGb
Wildfires raging across multiple states are forcing evacuations and other protective measures. Residents west of Idaho’s Kamiah city limits were issued mandatory evacuations. Residents in Boise, Idaho, have been told to prepare for evacuation at any time, The Guardian reported. Evacuations were also ordered in an Oregon resort on the Warm Springs Indian reservation, as wind gusts spread wildfires. Hundreds in Chelan, Washington, have also been evacuated. Meanwhile, fires are also spreading in Montana’s Glacier National Park and Helena National Forest.
A wildfire 100 miles north of San Francisco is starting to come under control, but new fires have started in Simi Valley, northwest of Los Angeles, according to The Guardian.
3. Prisoners Are Being Recruited to Help Fight Blazes in California
Prisoners make up about 30 to 40 percent of state forest firefighters in California. (Getty)
Prisoners are being recruited to help fight fires in California. Nearly 4,000 prisoners in California are battling current wildfires, according to RT.com. Many of them are working for less than $2 a day and can reduce their sentences by two days for every one day that they work. They account for about 30 to 40 percent of California’s state forest firefighters. The cheaper labor saves California about $80 million in taxes a year. Inmates accepted into the program no longer have to sleep in prisons, but are moved to barracks-style lodges.
4. InciWeb Provides The Latest Statistics on Wildfires
A screenshot from InciWeb’s fire status page (InciWeb)
Many people are turning to a government website called InciWeb to help keep track of the wildfires’ progress. According to InciWeb, a fire in Alaska at 330,000 acres is the largest, but the Soda Fire at 277,278 acres is the largest wildfire in the continental United States. A wildfire at the Happy Camp Complex in California is growing, currently at 134,056 acres. Other large fires include a Rocky Fire in Central California at more than 69,000 acres, a fire in Oregon’s Vale District at more than 42,000 acres, and the Wolverine Fire in Washington at more than 38,000 acres. InciWeb also lists closure notices as they are announced.
5. Widespread Droughts Are Contributing to the Fires
Glendora-area fire burns 2.5k acres as SoCal braces for temps that could hit 108 in some areas http://t.co/fjWaEseswj http://t.co/HwK26ZRmor
Widespread droughts and windy conditions are contributing to the fires, according to The Guardian. New wildfires are frequently popping up due to hot, dry weather. The federal government has said that it expects to exhaust its firefighting budget by next month. The U.S. Forest Service is spending $100 million a week fighting wildfires.