Dire Warnings As Western Wildfires Grow
Residents living near western wildfires are being urged to evacuate early before escape routes are blocked. NBC's Jennifer Bjorklund reports.
(NBC News) — As the death toll continues to climb, officials are warning evacuees in the fire-ravaged western states have a harder time making it to safety the longer they wait.
“There are weakened trees, electrical wires down. There could be damaged structures out there and things that are hazardous to the general public,” says Operations Section Chief Ralph Lucas, who is currently managing the “Riverside” fire in Oregon.
“I personally had interaction with a couple that had barely had time to get out of bed and get out of their front door and jump in the river where they spent many hours escaping the flames,” says Anthony Bucher of the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Across the region fire crews are stretched to the limit, working around the clock to create containment lines.
“We’re just beginning the suppression activity,” says Chief Doug Grafe of the Oregon Department of Forestry Fire Protection. “It’s been life safety before that. We’re making great headway. We still have a tremendous amount of work ahead of us.”
Oregon will be getting some relief this week, with rain in the forecast but here in California dangerous winds are expected to challenge the fire lines these crews have worked hard to put into place.
Behind the fires lines crews are working with lists of missing people and looking for remains in burned out communities and along escape routes. So far at least 35 deaths have been confirmed.
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