Oregon’s worst wildfire season in recent memory is demonstrating that the risk of fires sparked by utility equipment during hot, dry winds is no longer confined to California, as drought and climate change kill trees and alter weather patterns
In a remote, wooded canyon east of Salem, Ore., a lightning-sparked fire that had been smoldering since mid-August suddenly roared to life Sept. 7. Fanned by fierce, dry winds, the Beachie Creek fire exploded from about 450 acres to more than 132,000 acres within two days.
The massive conflagration, which has since grown to more than 190,000 acres and has destroyed hundreds of homes, was made larger by downed power lines that ignited more than a dozen fires along the Santiam Canyon, public safety officials say.
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