Wildfires continue to char through the Western United States, burning up major areas of California and Oregon over the weekend.
- Currently, 29 fires are burning in California.
These wildfires continue to blaze through the United States, leaving destruction in their path. People have died Structures and homes have been destroyed. And people remain missing as firefighters continue to wage war with the flames.
Here’s a breakdown of what we know so far.
How many deaths have there been?
There have been at least 20 deaths in California, five in Oregon and one in Washington state as a result of the fires, USA Today reports.
- The Wall Street Journal reports 33 people have died from the fires in California and Oregon.
How many homes and structures have been destroyed?
- More than 500,000 people in Oregon — which is more than 10% of the state’s population — have been asked to leave their homes, according to USA Today.
- Somewhere between 700 and 1,000 homes in California have been destroyed because of the fires, according to multiple reports.
How many acres have burned?
In total, the wildfires across the West have covered an area the size of New Jersey, USA Today reports.
Gov. Kate Brown of Oregon said more than 1 million acres of land — over 1,500 square miles — has burned in her state, The New York Times reports.
More than 3.3 million acres have been burned in California so far this year.
- The August Complex Fire in Mendocino and Humboldt is the largest in California history with 877,00 acres burned and 28% containment, according to ABC News.
- Three other fires in California have reached the top 10 all time for California.
How do these fires compare to last year?
Per ABC News, the 3.3 million acres that burned in California is 27 times more than in 2019.
- “Firefighters in the state have not seen anything like this season in more than a century, when the Great Fire of 1910 blazed through more than 3 million acres.”
Scientists told The Washington Post that California has seen smoke plumes unlike anything else previously seen.
“Fire tornadoes have spun up by the handful in at least three big wildfires in the past three weeks, based on radar data. Giant clouds of ash and smoke have generated lightning. Multiple fires have gone from a few acres to more than 100,000 acres in size in a day, while advancing as many as 25 miles in a single night. And wildfire plumes have soared up to 10 miles high, above the cruising altitude of commercial jets.”
President Donald Trump prepares to visit
President Donald Trump is flying on California to assess the damage from the wildfires on Monday, according to The New York Times.
- When he arrives, “he will come face to face with the grim consequences of a reality he has stubbornly refused to accept: the devastating effects of a warming planet,” The New York Times reports.
Gov. Kate Brown of Oregon said she spoke with President Trump about the wildfires, saying Trump supported the state.
- “I spoke with the president about 6:15 last night he either was on Air Force One or getting onto Air Force One,” Brown said, according to KVAL. “I explained to him that the situation on the ground was extremely dire. He said you have all of our support please let us know what you need and God bless Oregon.”