Two eastern Oregon wildfires, together burning more than 100 square miles, are among several blazes requiring the attention of firefighters throughout the state.
The Cherry Road and Rail fires, at almost 55 and 51 square miles apiece, are by far the largest active blazes in Oregon. The former started Sunday east of the Owyhee Reservoir, and the latter has been burning five miles west of Unity since July 31.
Late last week, the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise upped what it calls the National Preparedness Level to 4, one shy of the highest level, as competition for limited firefighting resources increased. Thirty-five large, uncontained wildfires were burning Wednesday in the West, and firefighters were making initial attacks on another 112 new blazes to prevent them from spreading.
In response to the Rail fire, Grant County officials issued what they called a "pre-evacuation advisory" for some people in the area, including those staying at a campground.