The authorities raised the death toll of victims of US wildfires to 15 after seven bodies were found in Northern California on Thursday.
Five people have lost their lives in Washington State and Oregon this week.
The fires moved at 45 miles per hour, burning through multiple West Coast states on Thursday. An estimated 500,000 or approximately 10 percent of Oregon's population has been evacuated, and the number continues to grow.
Firefighters from all over the country were called to call to help in putting out the fires.
Eagle Point resident Joey Delcerro, whose family was displaced by the South Obenchain Fire, helps his daughter Charlie, 5, carry a bag of dog food from a makeshift donation organized by mothers from the Rogue Valley in White City, Oregon, U.S., September 11, 2020. REUTERS/Adrees Latif
READ: US Wildfires: An Unprecedented Devastation in California, Oregon, and Washington
More than 100 fires all over 12 Western states raged through more than 3.4 million hectares, the National Interagency Fire Center said. The area is estimated to be the size of New Jersey or almost 7,000 square miles.
In Oregon, Governor Kate Brown announced on a news conference that 40,000 people were under mandatory evacuation. She said that dozens of people were reported missing after the Jackson, Marion, and Lane counties' fire. Ms. Brown urged residents to stay away from the fire zones despite reports of looting. The state is also bracing for mass fatality events as firefighting operations carry on.
Meanwhile, 68,000 people were under evacuation orders in California.
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Unhealthy Air Quality
According to IQ Air on Friday night, the wildfires raging on the West Coast have resulted in the air that is dangerous to breathe for millions of Americans and the worst quality. Portland ranked as the worst air quality in the World and was then followed by Seattle and San Francisco, while Los Angeles ranked seventh.
San Francisco turned orange in California as 14,000 firefighters are fighting the 28 significant fires amid a historic heatwave.
Some San Francisco residents woke up to darkened skies, disorienting some into believing that it is still night time.
Some were alarmed that it is still dark in the morning and felt strange having lunch in the dark.
According to local media, it appeared to be dawn at 10:45 in the morning. The thick plume brought about by the wildfire made it difficult for the sun's ray to penetrate the thick smoke.
Climate Fires
California Governor Gavin Newsom said that the wildfire should be called "climate fires."
Newsom said that the state is witnessing the reality of climate change in real-time and that the state's clean energy goals and slammed that the preventive efforts being done are inadequate and has directed state officials to make more and fast track more efforts.
According to BBC, the fires across the region were triggered by several causes. Among them are downed powerlines to a gender reveal party.
Experts say that there had been an increase in the number of extreme weather events. Climate change itself did not cause the fires, and it helped set the conditions for massive fires.
These conditions include record-breaking heatwaves, including a day when the highest temperature ever recorded on the planet (130 F) in California. Last week, Southern California suffered a record-high temperature. The hot, dry conditions made the region ideal for sparking wildfires.
People living near the wildlife-prone areas and brush undergrowth also contributed to wildfires.
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