BOISE, Idaho (AP) — An Oregon wildfire that is spreading smoke into neighboring states is now the largest active fire in the U.S., authorities said, and fire crews are bracing for a storm Wednesday night. which is expected to bring lightning, strong winds and the risk of flash flooding.
The Durkee Fire, burning near the Oregon-Idaho border about 130 miles (209 kilometers) west of Boise, Idaho, closed Interstate 84 for hours on Tuesday as flames closed in on the vital link between the states. . The highway reopened briefly on Wednesday but then closed again as authorities warned of frequent outages because of the nearly 400-square-mile (1,036-square-kilometer) blaze.
The town of Huntington, Oregon, home to about 500 people, remained evacuated for a third full day, and authorities issued warnings about the approaching storm to those left behind. The storm could bring wind gusts of up to 75 mph, lightning and heavy rain that could cause flash flooding and debris flows in recently burned areas, the Baker County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
The Oregon State Fire Marshal’s office also warned residents about the risk posed by the storm and the expected “plentiful” lightning strikes. The agency mobilized nearly 500 firefighters to help protect communities that could be threatened by nearby wildfires.
The region’s main electric utility, Idaho Power, warned customers to prepare for possible outages.
“Power outages and highway closures are expected. If the fire reaches the city of Huntington, there may be delays in providing assistance to residents who have not previously evacuated,” the sheriff’s office said.
More than 60 significant fires are burning in Oregon and Washington alone, and Oregon has been plagued by hundreds of lightning strikes caused by thunderstorms that started new fires in dry vegetation.
Smoke from Oregon’s Durkee Fire was already choking the air in Boise and beyond. An air quality advisory was in effect for the entire region Wednesday.
Patrick Nauman, owner of Weiser Classic Candy in the small town of Weiser, Idaho, near the Oregon border, said driving into town Wednesday morning was “like driving through a fog bank because it’s so dense and low. on the road”.
Nauman’s shop is at the town’s main intersection and is usually a popular place to stop for lunch or a sugar fix, but customer traffic has halved in recent days as smoke thickens and temperatures of three digits stalked the region.
“Yesterday you could smell it, taste it, it would kind of hang in the back of your throat,” Nauman said of the smoke.
Mike Cantin, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Boise, said cooler air moving into the region Wednesday night could fan the Oregon fire. A red flag warning was in effect and the area has been experiencing a heat wave, including many days above 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit).
“With these winds appearing today, every little spark can get out of control very easily. It could be a really dangerous situation very quickly,” Cantin said. “Don’t set anything on fire and be very careful around grass.”
