Wildfires are sweeping across the nation, with firefighters actively fighting 62 large wildfires, according to data from the Emergency Fire Center.
The fires have eaten up over 700,000 acres. Some of the fires have been raging for weeks in the heat, leaving communities in a smoke-filled haze.
Here are the states battling active large fires currently:
- California (12)
- Arizona (10)
- Montana (9)
- Oregon (8)
- New Mexico (6)
- Alaska (5)
- Utah (5)
- Washington (2)
- Idaho (2)
- Colorado (1)
- New Jersey (1)
- Wyoming (1)
Here are some notable developing situations to keep tabs on.
What to know about the Utah wildfires
An evacuation order was issued “for all cabins and trailers in the upper basin and Shurtz Canyon, after a fire began in rugged terrain south of Cedar City,” KSL reported.
The Speirs Fire south of Flaming Gorge grew to 580 acres and officials said it was caused by lightning, according to KSL-TV.
In the St. George area, the Quail Springs Fire has likely pushed smoke into the region as firefighters try to put out a lightning-caused fire estimated to cover 3,000 acres, St. George News reported.
Arizona fires
Arizona is currently battling three wildfires across the Arizona Strip.
Because of “a high wind event,” air support for the fire “has been placed on hold” for the Gulch Fire, per St. George News.
“We just want to avoid any unnecessary risks to any of our fire staff,” Rachel Carnahan, public relations specialist with the Arizona Strip Bureau of Land Management, told St. George News.
More than 400 residents living in the San Carlos Apache Reservation were issued evacuation orders “after a wildfire spilled into the downtown area on Thursday and destroyed at least 13 homes,” Time reported.
California wildfires
In California, wildfires led to the closing of Interstate 5 in both directions in Kern County Sunday, per the Los Angeles Times.
More than 1,000 evacuations took place over the weekend in the state, according to The New York Times.
The heat wave plaguing much of America increases the risk of fires, and the National Weather Service’s Los Angeles bureau told the Times that because of the heat, “any new fire will grow very quickly.”
Alaska wildfires
The state with the largest number of acres consumed by wildfire is Alaska — with fires burning up over 200,000 acres, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.