Wildfires Continue Across the West

As you may have gathered from yesterday's haze, the wildfires continue to rage across the West. KXMB News says close to fifty thousand fires have burned more than eight million acres across the western portion of North America, much of the devastation centered in California, Oregon and Montana.

CBS News says as of yesterday, "62 large fires were burning across nine western states, with 20 fires in Montana and 17 in Oregon," as reported by the National Interagency Fire Center.

U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has directed all land managers and park superintendents to be "more aggressive" in cutting down small trees and underbrush to prevent further spreading of wildfires.

KX says the Forest Service and Interior Department have spent more than $2.1 billion so far this year fighting fires — about the same as in the entire year of 2015.

As far as the local haze is concerned, local meterologists say there is some rain in the forecast, and that should provide some relief over the weekend.

[Source: KXMB]