Oregon Bootleg wildfire threatens 3,400 homes as more than 360,000 acres destroyed
More than 360,000 acres (531 square miles) have been destroyed by a wildfire in the US state of Oregon, where more than 2,000 people have been given evacuation orders, while a similar number of firefighters are battling the blaze.
The Bootleg fire, centred in and around the Fremont-Winema National Forest, 250 miles (400km) south of Portland, grew by more than 47,000-plus acres (73 square miles) on Monday alone to reach an estimated total of 364,000 acres (568 square miles).
An estimated 2,100 people had been told to leave or to be ready to go at a moment’s notice, authorities said.
The Bootleg wildfire in southern Oregon has destroyed dozens of homes. Pic: AP
Around 2,250 firefighters are trying to bring it under control and had built containment lines around 30% of the perimeter by late Monday, the Oregon Forestry Department said.
At least 67 homes have been destroyed, along with more than 100 outbuildings and other structures and an estimated 3,400 homes are considered to be under threat.
Firefighters battle the Bootleg Fire in southern Oregon
The intensity of the fire forced firefighting teams to retreat to safety zones for the ninth day in a row.
Incident commander Joe Hessel wrote in his daily report: “This fire is a real challenge, and we are looking at sustained battle for the foreseeable future.”
A plane drops re fire retardant over the Bootleg blaze, one of the largest wildfires in modern Oregon history
Ground crews, backed by water-dropping helicopters and airplane tankers, included reinforcements from at least 30 US states he said.
The Bootleg fire, which began on 6 July, is the largest by far of the 80 major active wildfires that have collectively burned nearly 1.2 million acres in 13 states, the National Interagency Fire Center said.
The remnants of cars destroyed by the Bootleg fire in a small community near Beatty, Oregon
Only three other Oregon wildfires over the past century have consumed more acreage, state forestry figures show.
The cause of the Bootleg fire is being investigated, but it has thrived in gusty winds, high temperatures and low humidity.
The Bootleg fire has forced people to leave their homes
An unusually active start to the wildfire season in the western US has coincided with record-shattering heat that has baked much of the region in recent weeks and is blamed for hundreds of deaths.
Scientists have said the growing frequency and intensity of wildfires are largely attributable to prolonged drought and increasing bouts of excessive heat that are symptomatic of climate change.
Anti-Trump protests took place across America on Saturday, with demonstrators decrying the administration’s immigration crackdown and mass firings at government agencies.
Events ranged from small local marches to a rally in front of the White House and a demonstration at a Massachusetts commemoration of the start of the Revolutionary War 250 years ago.
Thomas Bassford, 80, was at the battle reenactment with his two grandsons, as well as his partner and daughter.
He said: “This is a very perilous time in America for liberty. I wanted the boys to learn about the origins of this country and that sometimes we have to fight for freedom.”
At events across the country, people carried banners with slogans including “Trump fascist regime must go now!”, “No fear, no hate, no ICE in our state,” and “Fight fiercely, Harvard, fight,” referencing the university’s recent refusal to hand over much of its control to the government.
Some signs name-checked Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadorian citizen living in Maryland, who the Justice Department admits was mistakenly deported to his home country.
Read more: Donald Trump’s deportations explained
Pic: AP
People waved US flags, some of them held upside down to signal distress. In San Francisco, hundreds of people spelt out “Impeach & Remove” on a beach, also with an inverted US flag.
People walked through downtown Anchorage in Alaska with handmade signs listing reasons why they were demonstrating, including one that read: “No sign is BIG enough to list ALL of the reasons I’m here!”
Pic: AP
Protests also took place outside Tesla car dealerships against the role Elon Musk ahas played in downsizing the federal government as de facto head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The protests come just two weeks after similar nationwide demonstrations.
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Organisers are opposing what they call Mr Trump’s civil rights violations and constitutional violations, including efforts to deport scores of immigrants and to scale back the federal government by firing thousands of government workers and effectively shuttering entire agencies.
The Trump administration, among other things, has moved to shutter Social Security Administration field offices, cut funding for government health programs and scale back protections for transgender people.
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