Oregon Wildfires Lay Waste To Thousands Of Acres
Oregon wildfires have burned away thousands of acres in the Eastern part of the state.
Wildfires have increased over the last few years, causing the evacuation of entire cities and laying waste to places where they are least likely to happen. Take Australia for instance; in the middle of winter, a wildfire grew out of control and lost hundreds their homes, and even their lives. The disaster was made famous by pictures taken of a family who took refuge in the nearby water and lived to tell about it.
The Oregon wildfires were presumed to have been caused by a series of lightning strikes, and haven’t stopped for several days now. Firefighters are pressing on to try stopping their spread, but winds have already driven them to the point of destroying over 400 homes.
The fire exploded Tuesday, in the midst of dry conditions and record heat, lighting up the Eastern portion of Oregon like so much kindling. By Wednesday morning, the fire had already covered 23 square miles and threatened to take out three nearby ranches. Two people tried to escape the Oregon wildfires, and didn’t make it as they left their car in an attempt to flee.
Deputies suspect that the fire may have been encouraged with human help. Sheriff Terry Maketa stated, “it looks like a nuclear bomb went off in some of those areas, and you can’t even recognize whether it was a house or some other kind of structure. That is the level of incineration and destruction that took place in some areas.”
UPDATE: Wildfires burn 20,000 acres west of Jordan Valley http://t.co/svRBbgtf8V pic.twitter.com/fCpdR5Vvej
— KTVB.COM (@KTVB) June 13, 2013
Containment is currently at 45 percent, up from 30 percent on Friday, indicating that firefighters may be gaining the upper hand with the Oregon wildfires.
Jack and Judy Roe had been spared their lives and their home, but their neighbors weren’t so lucky. Judy Roe said that with all of the blackened destruction, the remains of charred brick were the only indication of where homes used to be.
President Obama called Governor John Hickenlooper on Friday to get an update on conditions and reinforce his commitment to help. He sent the Governor his condolences for those who have lost their homes and relatives in the Oregon wildfires.
How do you feel about the destruction in the wake of the Oregon wildfires?
