By Grace Hauck and Joel Shannon for USA Today
Unprecedented levels of pollution were recorded Saturday in Oregon as tens-of-thousands of firefighters continue to battle deadly wildfires in the western U.S.
Ninety-seven large fires have burned more than 6,200 square miles across the western states, and evacuation orders were in place for 40 large fires in California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Idaho and Utah, the National Interagency Fire Center said Saturday. Some evacuees have fled with just the clothes on their backs.
Smoke from the blazes has impacted the entire West Coast, posing a health hazard to millions. Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality said the entire state was reporting unhealthy or hazardous air Saturday morning.
Readings in Portland were the worst recorded since the department started monitoring there in 1985. There, the smoke filled the air with an acrid metallic scent like dull pennies.
In Washington, Gov. Jay Inslee encouraged Washington state residents to stay home as much as possible, keep doors and windows closed and avoid strenuous activities outdoors.
At least 28 people have died and hundreds of homes have been destroyed in the fires. At least 19 deaths have been reported in California, eight in Oregon and one in Washington state. Cal Fire previously reported 20 total deaths, but a local official in northern California retracted a reported death Friday, explaining that a burned anatomical skeleton used for academic purposes was mistaken for human remains.
In Oregon, where officials have warned of a “mass fatality incident,” the state fire marshal has resigned because of a personnel matter unrelated to his handling of the fires, according to the Oregon State Police.
Oregon State Police Superintendent Travis Hampton named Chief Deputy Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple, as the state’s Chief Deputy Fire Marshal. Read more from USA Today.
Follow us daily for more updates on the health hazards from the wildfires and more U.S. news.
