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Western US Wildfires Continue to Rage

VOA News

   WASHINGTON - Wildfires continued to rage across large swaths of the
   Western U.S. on Sunday, with massive clouds of smoke enveloping the
   region and endangering the health of millions of residents.

   Air quality across the Pacific Northwest state of Oregon was
   characterized by state environmental officials as "hazardous" or "very
   unhealthy." Dense smoke warnings were posted in Oregon and the
   neighboring state of Washington by the National Weather Service.

   In all, throughout the Western U.S., there were 24 fires in California,
   15 in Washington, 14 in Oregon, 12 in Idaho and others in Alaska,
   Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

   The blazes have killed at least 10 people in Oregon, with emergency
   workers expecting the death toll to increase. Some people in Portland,
   the state's largest city, and elsewhere were fighting for breath as
   smoke filled the air. The fires have ravaged more than 400,000 hectares
   of land in the state.

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