BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A wildfire raging in Oregon and sending smoke into neighboring states is now the largest active fire in the United States, authorities said, and firefighters are bracing for a storm Wednesday night that is expected to bring lightning, high winds and the risk of flash flooding.
The Durkee Fire, which is burning near the Oregon-Idaho border about 130 miles (209 kilometers) west of Boise, Idaho, shut down Interstate 84 for several hours Tuesday as flames neared the vital link between the states. The highway briefly reopened Wednesday but was closed again after officials warned that disruptions would be frequent due to the nearly 400-square-mile (1,036-square-kilometer) blaze.
The town of Huntington, Oregon, home to about 500 people, remained evacuated for a third full day, and officials issued warnings about the coming storm to those who remained behind. The storm could bring wind gusts of up to 75 mph (121 km/h), lightning and heavy rain that could cause flash flooding and debris flows in recently burned areas, the Baker County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
The Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office also warned residents of the risks posed by the storm and expected “abundant” lightning. The agency has mobilized nearly 500 firefighters to help protect communities that could be threatened by nearby wildfires.
The region’s main electric utility, Idaho Power, warned customers to prepare for possible outages.
“Power outages and highway closures are expected. If the fire reaches the city of Huntington, there may be delays in assisting residents who have not yet evacuated,” the sheriff’s office said.
More than 60 major fires are burning in Oregon and Washington alone, and Oregon has been hit by hundreds of lightning strikes caused by thunderstorms that have sparked new fires in dry vegetation.
Smoke from the Durkee wildfire in Oregon was already choking the air in Boise and beyond. An air pollution alert was in effect across the region Wednesday.
Patrick Nauman, owner of Weiser Classic Candy in the small town of Weiser, Idaho, near the Oregon border, said driving into town Wednesday morning was “like driving in a fog bank because it’s so thick and low to the road.”
Nauman’s shop sits at the town’s main intersection and is usually a popular place to stop for lunch or a sweet treat, but customer traffic has dropped by half in recent days due to thick smoke and triple-digit temperatures hitting the area.
“Yesterday you could smell it, taste it, it was like it was stuck in the back of your throat,” Nauman said of the smoke.
Mike Cantin, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Boise, said cooler air moving into the region Wednesday night could fan the Oregon fire. A red flag warning was in effect and the region has been experiencing a heat wave, including multiple days when temperatures exceeded 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
“With the winds that are blowing today, any little spark could easily get out of control. It could get very dangerous very quickly,” Cantin said. “Don’t light anything and be very careful around grass.”
