This map shows the locations of the largest recent wildfires across the West. Firsthand Look President Clinton visited the front lines of the fire-fighting efforts on Tuesday. The president took a 40-minute helicopter tour with his chief of staff, John Podesta, and Forest Service chief Mike Dombeck. More than 20,000 civilian and military firefighters are battling some 70 major fires in the region. No End in Sight Entwistle says nearly a million acres are on fire in the region, and smoke is becoming a phenomenon in itself.
Authorities say some of the major fires are likely to continue burning for several more weeks.
It's a constant process of chasing little spots around and not the traditional or more traditional visualization of cutting a line along the fire's edge. It's very difficult to hold it. Colonel Daryl Williams from Fort Hood, Texas, is among the military working the fire lines in the Payette National Forest in Idaho. The hills are tough. The Web Copyright 2000 ABC News Internet Ventures.