Wildfires rage across western United States
SAN FRANCISCO, July 8 (Reuters) - Wildfires raged across the western United States on Sunday as firefighters scrambled to prevent flames from spreading across rugged terrain thick with tinder turned bone-dry by scorching weather.
Some of the intense blazes forced hasty evacuations of rural homes and recreational areas and officials temporarily shut highways and railways in some fire zones.
California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana each reported wildfires of varying severity as a heat wave blanketed the western United States.
Fanned by high winds, a fire in Utah grew into a massive blaze covering more than 160,000 acres (65,000 hectares). In neighboring Nevada a fire burning 30 miles (48 km) southwest of the town of Winnemucca consumed an estimated 152,000 acres (62,000 ha). The two fires forced temporary closures of major interstate highways.
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posted on 7/10/2007 at 11:23
