"Gusty winds and dry, hot weather are increasing the size of dozens of wildfires scorching vast stretches of Oregon, California and other western states, authorities said on Sunday.

The Bootleg Fire in Oregon - the largest wildfire raging in the United States - is pushing to the north and east. It grew in size to nearly 468 square miles (1,212 square kilometers) - an area larger than Hong Kong.

"The weather is really against us," said John Flannigan, an operations section chief with the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), in charge of battling the blaze."

Brad Brooks reports for Reuters July 18, 2021. [2]

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"California Fire Prompts Evacuations; Oregon Blaze Balloons" (AP) [3]