Oregon Bootleg wildfire spreads over 3,90,000 acres

Oregon's Bootleg wildfire, currently the largest active blaze in the US, has scorched over 390,000 acres in the US state's Lake and Klamath counties with 32 per cent containment, officials said. The blaze, which erupted on July 6 due to lightning, has burnt a total of 394,407 acres after merging with the nearby Log Fire, reports Xinhua news agency. "It's shaping up to be another difficult wildfire season. And unfortunately, we're responding to new fires as we continue to recover from last year's devastating fire season," Oregon Governor Kate Brown said in a briefing. Brown, along with the state fire marshal and director of emergency management, briefed the public on Oregon's response to a "historic" start to wildfire season, citing drought emergencies in 19 counties so far with more expected. "It's mid-July and already nearly 450,000 acres (about 1,821 square km) have burned across the state," Brown said. "The drought conditions across Oregon are really driving the fire potential," said Doug Grafe, chief of fire protection with the Oregon Department of Forestry. (IANS)

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