KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Hand crews backed by water-dropping helicopters struggled on Thursday to suppress a huge wildfire displacing roughly 2,000 residents in southern Oregon, the largest among dozens of blazes raging across the drought-stricken U.S. West.
The Bootleg fire has charred more than 227,000 acres (91,860 hectares) of desiccated timber and brush in and around the Fremont-Winema National Forest since erupting on July 6 about 250 miles (400 km) south of Portland.
That total was up 12,000 acres from Wednesday’s tally. Firefighters extended containment lines carved around the blaze to 7% of its perimeter, up from 5% a day earlier, but were fa…
Keep on reading: Oregon wildfire displaces 2,000 residents as blazes flare across U.S. West