Bootleg Fire in Oregon Scorches 143,000 Acres as Heat Wave Continues in the West

With record-breaking temperatures and hard-to-contain wildfires, Western states are struggling through a hellish summer.

As the West continues to bake under torrid temperatures, an out-of-control wildfire burned across southwest Oregon on Sunday, scorching more than 143,000 acres, threatening the power grid that connects Oregon and California and driving people from their homes. The Bootleg fire continued to burn for its fifth day in a row on Sunday. The intense blaze escalated on Saturday afternoon, leading firefighters to leave the scene and retreat back to safety because of an “immediate, life-threatening risk,” according to one update from fire officials. Charles Smith, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Medford, Ore., said the fire was especially concerning because Oregon’s fire season had only just begun.