Four wildfires in Oregon have grown into "megafires" burning over 100,000 acres of land, contributing to the state's heightened wildfire risk due to extreme heat and dry conditions.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – As firefighters continue to battle smoke and flames throughout Oregon, at least four wildfires in the eastern half of the state have grown into “megafires.”
A megafire, according to the U.S. Interagency Fire Center, is a wildfire that reaches a size of at least 100,000 acres. Of the 100 fires currently burning in Oregon, the Durkee, Cow Valley, Falls, and Lone Rock fires have each reached this status.
Location: Baker County
Size: 145,557 acres
Containment: 0%
Injuries: 2
Structures Destroyed: 2
Location: Malheur County
Size: 133,490 acres
Containment: 78%
Injuries: 1
Structures Destroyed: 7
Location: Harney County
Size: 120,919 acres
Containment: 15%
Injuries: 11
Structures Destroyed: 29
Location: Gilliam County
Size: 116,563 acres
Containment: 40%
Injuries: 3
Structures Destroyed: 0
The 2024 wildfire season so far has burned 618,741 acres in Oregon, according to the
State of Oregon Fires and Hotspots Dashboard. This converts to 966 square miles of scorched land.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has already declared a wildfire state of emergency, freeing up deployment of the National Guard along with firefighters and structural equipment from California and Washington.
“To be very honest, our wildfire season is off to a very aggressive start,” Kotek said in a briefing last week, adding that this summer could be “a long wildfire season.”
Extreme heat and dry conditions have contributed to the state’s heightened wildfire risk as thunderstorms spark throughout the Pacific Northwest. However, officials with the Oregon Department of Forestry say several wildfires have also been caused by humans.
In fact, the Forest Service reported that at least 100 wildfires in Oregon and Washington were caused by people throughout June and early July.
“We are asking the public for help keeping human-caused fires off the map,” said Kyle Williams, Deputy Director of Fire Operations with ODF. “We have our hands full already and more lightning coming. We can address that as long as our resources are not busy dealing with other human-caused fires.”
State officials urge residents to sign up for local emergency alerts and familiarize themselves with evacuation levels.
Stay with KOIN 6 News as we continue our wildfire coverage.
