Scores of wildfires are scorching swaths of the US and Canada. Here’s the latest on them

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Scores of wildfires across the United States and Canada have scorched swaths of land in California, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, Alberta and beyond, forcing evacuations and road closures, as well as destroying and threatening structures. Air quality advisorie s and alerts have been issued in some affected areas. Here’s the latest on them as of Friday.

D
urkee

The Durkee Fire in Baker County, Oregon, is the largest active blaze in the U.S., which merged with the Cow Fire to burn nearly 630 square miles (1,630 square kilometers). The blaze started nine days ago and remains unpredictable. It was only 20% contained Friday.

Evacuations were lifted for the small eastern Oregon city of Huntington after thunderstorms on Wednesday brought rain and cooler temperatures.

Park

The Park Fire in Butte County, California, near the city of Chico has seared 257 square miles (666 square kilometers) and was considered completely uncontained Friday.

Evacuations were ordered in Butte and Tehama counties. About 4,000 residents in unincorporated areas of Butte County and 400 residents of Chico were ordered to evacuate, Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said late Thursday. Two minor injures were reported, more than 130 structures were destroyed and about 4,200 were threatened.

A California man arrested Thursday was accused of sparking the state’s largest wildfire of the year by pushing a burning car into a gully.

Jasper

A wildfire in the Canadian Rockies has scorched 139 square miles (360 square kilometers).

Officials said Thursday that the blaze prompted 25,000 people to flee as it roared into the near-deserted town of Jasper overnight, devastating up to half of its structures.

Cooler temperatures and rain brought minimal fire spread and behavior Friday. The weather could keep the fires at bay for the next 72 hours, according to Jasper National Park. But officials warned that warmer weather forecasted will bring increased wildfire activity.

Falls

The human-caused Falls Fire in Harney County, Oregon, has destroyed 219 square miles (567 square kilometers) and was 55% contained.

Evacuation orders remained in place in Grant and Harney counties because of the Falls Fire and the nearby Telephone Fire.

The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

Lone Rock

The Lone Rock Fire in Gilliam County, Oregon, has burned 213 square miles (552 square kilometers) and was 45% contained.

Minimal to moderate fire behavior on Thursday allowed crews to make progress and increase containment, greatly reducing the threat to structures, according to a fire update on InciWeb.

The fire’s cause remains under investigation.

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