Major Evacuations in Western U.S. and Canada Caused by Wildfires

People in the western United States and Canada are facing more challenges as wildfires are causing large numbers of evacuations.

The sun sets over Eugene behind a blanket of thick smoke from wildfires burning in Oregon on Aug. 5, 2021 Eug 080521 Sunset / Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA

Traveling in the United States has been a challenge recently with issues involving a Microsoft update crippling airlines. For people in the western part of the country and Canada, another obstacle has been placed in their way.

Because of incredibly high temperatures, wildfires have been popping up and creating chaos. Thousands of people have had to evacuate as a result, with major highway closures and skies being lit up orange and red and hazy.

One city being hit especially hard is Durkee, Oregon. The Durkee fire is currently the largest in the state, having started on July 17th because of a lightning strike in the area.

Because of how fast-moving the wildfire is, parts of Interstate 84 have been shut down going in both directions. That interstate goes from Ontario to Baker City, causing some perilous transportation conditions.

“The fire is advancing rapidly towards the highway in multiple locations in the Farewell Bend area,” as shared by the state’s Department of Transportation on Wednesday afternoon.

I-84 is closed in both directions between #BakerCity, Exit 302 and #Ontario, Exit 374 due to the #DurkeeFire. The fire is advancing rapidly towards the highway in multiple locations in the #FarewellBend area. pic.twitter.com/hRnXWMpSis

— OregonDOT (@OregonDOT) July 23, 2024

Slowing down the spread of this wildfire has proven difficult. As shared by NBC News, zero percent of it is contained as more than 239,000 acres of land have been set aflame.

Level 3 evacuations have been put in place for Baker and Malheur as a result of the wildfire not only in Durkee but in Cow Valley as well. Along with Baker and Malheur, the town of Huntington is under level 3 evacuation, per KTVB Idaho, an affiliate of NBC.

As shared by the Western Fire Chiefs Association, level 3 means to go now.

“A level three alert means there is immediate, extreme danger in your area, making your home unsafe to stay in. You must evacuate immediately. It is critical to leave your home as quickly as you can. The time to get organized has passed at this point; do not attempt to protect your home or gather belongings before leaving.

When leaving, drive carefully and ensure that your headlights are switched on for visibility. Do not return to your home until public safety officials have declared that the area is safe to re-enter.”

According to an Oregon wildfire tracker, there are at least 115 currently active in the state. Unfortunately, they are preparing for things to get worse through the Pacific Northwest up through Washington and into Canada.

“This is shaping up to be another monster fire year in the Pacific Northwest, and it’s just mid-July,” Ed Hiatt, Pacific Northwest assistant fire director for operations, said. He said that the agency is at Preparedness Level 5 — "the highest level of wildfire response possible in the region and nation."

“Crews, dozers, helicopters, and incident management teams from across the nation are coming to help including folks from as far away as North Carolina and Wisconsin,” Hiatt added.

This is an Alberta Emergency Alert. The Municipality of Jasper has issued a Wildfire alert.
This alert is in effect for everyone located in Jasper.

There is a wildfire south of town. An Evacuation Order has been issued for the Town of Jasper.

Everyone in Jasper must evacuate…

— Alberta Emergency Alert (@AB_EmergAlert) July 23, 2024

In Alberta, a province of Canada, 175 wildfires remain active. While some of those wildfires are the result of lightning in the area this year, people are responsible for half of them according to the Alberta Emergency Management Agency.