Spreading wildfire in western US destroys dozens of homes

Firefighters have battled the Bootleg Fire for nearly a week in the state of Oregon, just north of the California border.

Firefighters have been scrambling to control a raging inferno in southeastern Oregon that is spreading in windy conditions for miles in a day, one of numerous wildfires straining resources across the western portion of the United States. Crews had to flee the fire lines late on Thursday after a dangerous “fire cloud” started to collapse, threatening them with strong downdrafts and flying embers. An initial review on Friday showed the Bootleg Fire destroyed 67 homes and 117 outbuildings overnight in one county. Authorities were still counting the losses in a second county where the flames are surging up to six kilometres (four miles) a day. The blaze has forced 2,000 people to evacuate and is threatening 5,000 buildings that include homes and smaller structures in a rural area just north of the California border, fire spokeswoman Holly Krake said. Active flames are surging along 322km (200 miles) of the fire’s perimeter, she said and it is expected to merge with a smaller but equally explosive fire by nightfall.