Fuelled by hot, dry winds, the Bootleg Fire, which is the largest of several wildfires in the United States, roared through more brush and wood in southern Oregon recently, displacing about 2,000 residents after destroying dozens of homes. The Bootleg Fire also threatens the state's power grid and authorities want to prevent millions of people from being plunged into darkness at all costs, as happened in previous years when grid tension was too low. The current strong winds are not helping the situation as they spread the flames and make it very difficult for the firefighters to tackle the blaze effectively. Currently, it is only 22 percent contained.
This Bootleg fire which is on the border with California is alone responsible for the burning of 167,432 hectares. The ensuing smoke is blowing eastwards and is already affecting Chicago and New York and is almost as far as Boston.