Deadly wildfires continued ravaging portions of the western United States on Thursday, stoked by gusty winds and dry conditions.
Although some weather relief appears to be en route in the coming days, millions of acres have already burned, particularly in California, Oregon and Washington. Homes and businesses have been engulfed, and injuries to both residents and first responders continue mounting.
Here are the latest updates:
Police searching for at least 11 people missing in Oregon fire
Published 2:45 p.m. EDT Sept. 17: There are at least 11 people missing in the Almeda Fire zone in Oregon, police said.
Detectives are searching to locate the missing people, KTVL reported.
MISSING PERSONS FROM ALMEDA FIRE UPDATE (as of 09/17/20 at 9:25 AM): Detectives have been working diligently to locate...
Posted by Medford Police on Monday, September 14, 2020
Three people have died because of the fire, which consumed more than 3,200 acres before being 100% contained, The Oregonian reported. It is believed to have been started by arson.
California’s El Dorado Fire reaches more than 18K acres, 63% containment
Published 1:35 a.m. EDT Sept. 17: California’s El Dorado Fire, located in the San Bernardino National Forest, reached 18,506 acres and is 63% contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
#SBCoFD BC Chris Gorman is leading the Type 3 Strike Team 6233C working the #ElDoradoFire on HWY 38 to protect the community of Angelus Oaks. The primary objective is to keep the fire south of the Santa Ana River drainage. @SanBernardinoNF @CALFIREBDU @sbcountysheriff @CHPInland pic.twitter.com/iVB7jJSHSx
— SB County Fire (@SBCOUNTYFIRE) September 17, 2020
“The great work by firefighting resources assigned to the El Dorado Fire continued today,” officials said in their Wednesday night update. “The fire slowly backed down at low intensity into a retardant line placed along Hwy 38 in the vicinity of Angelus Oaks. Ground crews were able to directly attack the fire utilizing hose lines to protect the community.”
According to the San Bernardino Sun, the blaze began Sept. 5 “with a smoke bomb igniting during a gender-reveal photo shoot.”
#ElDoradoFire Evening Update
— San Bernardino National Forest (@SanBernardinoNF) September 17, 2020
The great work by firefighting resources assigned to the El Dorado Fire continued today.
More: https://t.co/GQgLVT8nlq @CALFIREBDU @CHP_San_Berdoo @SBCOUNTYFIRE @sbcountysheriff pic.twitter.com/p9mbEyXnV2
Cox Media Group