‘Unprecedented’ Pacific Northwest fires near Portland
September 9, 2020 11:58AM AKDT
By GILLIAN FLACCUS and SARA CLINE Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Firefighters in the Pacific Northwest are scrambling to keep up with multiple catastrophic fires in the region that have forced people to flee their homes and trapped firefighters and civilians. One of the fires leveled an entire Washington state farming town. The scenes were evocative of the drama playing out in California, but in the Pacific Northwest firefighters are stunned by the intensity and speed of the blazes in areas that almost never experience such fire activity because of the zone’s cooler and wetter climate. Gusting winds with top speeds between 30 to 50 mph were forecast Wednesday through Thursday.