Northwest Wildfires Burn 1M+ Acres, Smoke Spreads Across U.S.
A record-breaking wildfire season is gripping the Pacific Northwest, with more than 1 million acres burned before August, the region's typical peak fire season. Lightning-sparked blazes, fueled by extreme heat, dry vegetation, low humidity, and gusty winds, continue to spread across Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana. Thick smoke has degraded air quality across multiple states, while firefighters battle dozens of large active fires under the nation's highest wildfire preparedness level.