As of 10 September 2020, more than 90 major wildfires continue to burn in 13 western U.S. states, with California, Oregon and Washington experiencing the most severe effects. Thus far, the blazes have consumed at least 5,300 sq. mi (13,725 sq. km) of land in total. In Northern California’s San Francisco Bay Area, smoke from wildfires caused poor visibility conditions on 9 September. In Butte County, officials fear that hundreds of residences have been destroyed; there have been at least three fatalities and an additional 12 people remain missing. More than 30,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes in Fresno and Madera counties.
In Oregon, the towns of Blue River, Detroit, Medford, Vida, Phoenix and Talent are among the most affected — hundreds of residences have been destroyed in those towns. Most of the residents in Medford are under mandatory evacuation orders. At least three people have been killed due to the fires. Meanwhile, in nearby Washington state, the town of Malden, located south of the city of Spokane, is the worst affected area. Blazes have also affected other areas in the eastern and central parts of the state, forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate their homes. At least one fatality has been reported in Washington.
