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Large “megafires” are often the most noticeable fires in satellite imagery. Yet another type—fast fires—are more dangerous and destructive. This was the finding of a recent University of Colorado Boulder analysis of two decades of NASA satellite data. “We’ve been focused on the wrong metric,” said J
Photo: NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison and Lauren Dauphin, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview and Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Animation by Adam Sil | Public domain | Wikimedia Commons

Heat And Drought Drive Deadly Wildfires Across Western U.S. And British Columbia

Written by TNNBot on

Heat and drought drove deadly wildfires across the western United States and British Columbia on Sunday, August 9, 2026, forcing mass evacuations and killing at least three firefighting crew members.[1]

The National Interagency Fire Center reported 183 new U.S. fires since Saturday and more than 94 large fires burning nationwide, with over 30,000 personnel and 640-plus crews deployed.[1] Utah's Widemouth 2 Fire in Fishlake National Forest has burned more than 118,000 acres and is 27% contained, while the Rocky Canyon Fire near Salt Lake City has grown past 2,800 acres at 0% containment.[1] Oregon's Wrights Spring Fire has scorched over 33,000 acres with no containment reported, and two helicopter pilots and a bulldozer operator were killed while fighting blazes in Utah and Oregon.[1] At least 60,000 people have been evacuated around Spokane, Washington, and British Columbia declared a provincial emergency as more than 100 active wildfires, including the Bald Range fire, forced over 20,000 residents to flee.[1]

Forecasters and firefighting officials blamed prolonged heat and drought for dry fuels that helped fires spread rapidly in multiple states and across the Canadian border.[1] Utah's Widemouth 2 Fire is now the state's largest blaze this year after burning more than 118,000 acres, officials said, and more than 30,000 firefighting personnel are assigned nationwide.[1]

Authorities urged residents to follow evacuation orders and stay clear of fire lines as crews focused on protecting communities and critical infrastructure.

  1. NPR
Wildfires & Extreme Weather Public Safety Western U.S.
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📌 Key Facts

  • On Sunday, August 9, 2026, the National Interagency Fire Center reported 183 new U.S. fires since Saturday and more than 94 large fires burning nationwide, with over 30,000 personnel and 640-plus crews deployed.
  • Utah’s Widemouth 2 Fire in Fishlake National Forest has burned more than 118,000 acres and is 27% contained, now the state’s largest fire this year, while the Rocky Canyon Fire near Salt Lake City has grown past 2,800 acres at 0% containment.
  • Two helicopter pilots died August 7 while fighting the Widemouth 2 Fire, and bulldozer operator Jason Ensign was killed battling Oregon’s Wrights Spring Fire, which has burned over 33,000 acres with no containment reported by Sunday afternoon.
  • At least 60,000 people have been evacuated around Spokane, Washington, as fires there burn more than 10,000 acres; in British Columbia, more than 100 active wildfires and the Bald Range fire have forced over 20,000 people from their homes under a provincial emergency.

📰 Source Timeline (1)

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August 09, 2026
10:03 PM
Crews battle wildfires in western U.S. and Canada
NPR by Chandelis Duster