10,000+ Lightning Strikes Spark Scores of New Wildfires in OR, WA

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC HAZARDS
EXTREME DROUGHT
LIGHTNING STORMS
DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRES
STATE OF EMERGENCY
MAIN SCENARIOS 900, 800,797, 777, 444, 311, 111, 101, 100, 070, 03, 02
.

Raindrops evaporate before hitting the ground due to extremely dry air in parts of Oregon

Some 60 of the new fires are located in Oregon and 14 others in the state of Washington. Currently, three fires are spreading, according to the authorities.

Two fire are spreading in Oregon.

• The Rogue River Drive fire north of Medford, which has blackened  more than 600 acres and threatens more than 130 homes, as of Wednesday morning local time.
• 15 Cent fire southeast of Burns, which has  consumed 15,000 acres.

The third fire is in Washington state:  Lost Ridge Fire west of Ellensburg has charred 200 acres.

In Oregon, raindrops evaporated before reaching the ground because of extremely low humidity on Tuesday night, allowing lightning and winds to start and fuel new fires, said a spokeswoman for the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center.

Oregon Governor Kitzhaber has issued a state conflagration emergency for the fire zone. He proclaimed a state of emergency, also due to the wildfires, on July 16.

Fire crews are currently tackling at last 26 large fires across the two states including

In Oregon:

• The South Fork complex south of John Day has consumed more than 64,700 acres, and  is  30 percent contained.
• The 5 Mile fire east of Joseph has charred 4,500 acres.
• The Sommers Fire northeast of Enterprise has exploded to 27,000 acres, ttreateings ranches, historic structures, and is zero percent contained.
• The Beaver Complex northwest of Medford has grown to 35,300 acres. The fires are about 90 percent contained.
• The Staley complex southeast of Oakridge has burned more than 300 acres and is 15 percent contained.
• The Bald Sisters Fire in Grant County east of Prairie City has consumed more than 1,200 acres. It is  zero percent contained.
• The Rowena fire northwest of The Dalles has charred 3,680 acres, but is now 100 percent contained.
• The Camp Creek complex in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, has blackened about 800 acres and is 45 percent contained.
• The Nene Creek fire north of Warm Springs has consumed about 350 acres and is 90 percent contained.
• The Incident 769 fire north of Condon has burned 3,000 acres. It is zero percent contained.
• The Blaylock Canyon fire west of Arlington has consumed about 1,000 acres. The fire is also zero percent contained.

In Washington:

• The Devil’s Elbow complex northeast of Nespelem has burned about 21,000 acres and is 10 percent contained. The fire is threatening homes, with many residents under a mandatory evacuation order.
• The Snag Canyon fire has grown to 12,000 acres. It is 50 percent contained.
• The Hansel Creek fire south of Leavenworth has scorched more than 1,000 acres. It is 15 percent contained.
• The Duncan fire north of Leavenworth has consumed more than 10,500 acres and is also 15 percent contained.
• The Little Bridge Creek fire west of Winthrop has burned about 4,200 acres and is 14 percent contained.
• The Upper Falls fire north of Winthrop has scorched more than 8,000 acres and is only 6 percent contained.
• The South Cle Elum Ridge fire southwest of Cle Elum has grown to about 1,000 acres, and is 15 percent contained.
• The Chiwaukum complex near Leavenworth has charred about 14,200 acres and is 40 percent contained.
• The Carlton Complex south of Twisp has consumed about 256,200 acres and is now 95 percent contained.
• The Haven Lake fire northwest of Olympia has scorched about 200 acres and is zero percent contained.
• The Enterprise fire south and southeast of Colville, which had charred more than 150 acres is now 100 percent contained, according to Inciweb.