Dangerous conditions complicate wildfire fight in western US

Erratic winds and parched Oregon forests added to the dangerous for firefighters on Monday as they battled the largest wildfire in the United States

BLY, Ore. -- Erratic winds and parched Oregon forests added to the dangers for firefighters on Monday as they battled the largest wildfire in the U.S., one of dozens burning across several Western states. The destructive Bootleg Fire was considered one of the largest in modern Oregon history and was burning more than 476 square miles (1,210 square kilometers), an area about the size of Los Angeles. The blaze just north of the California border was 25% contained. Meteorologists predicted critically dangerous fire weather through at least Monday with lightning possible in both California and southern Oregon. “With the very dry fuels, any thunderstorm has the potential to ignite new fire starts,” the National Weather Service in Sacramento, California, said on Twitter.