More than 65,000 people have been evacuated and around 700 homes destroyed as wildfires tear through the northwestern United States, with Washington state bearing the brunt of the destruction.
Washington remains under a state of emergency, authorities said, as dozens of fires burn out of control and thousands of firefighters work to contain the flames.
The National Interagency Fire Center, which coordinates the country's wildfire response and tracks fire activity nationwide, reported 70 large wildfires currently active across the United States, which together have burned more than 770,000 hectares (roughly 1.9 million acres). Washington alone has 16 large fires, while Oregon has 20.
So far this year, the United States has recorded 45,835 fires, the highest total for this time of year in the last decade, with more than 2.1 million hectares (about 5.2 million acres) burned.
Spokane County hit hardest
Dave Upthegrove, Washington's Commissioner of Public Lands, said Spokane County, in the state's east, accounts for most of the evacuations recorded so far.
Upthegrove told CNN that the devastation was heartbreaking, and that behind every dramatic image was a firefighter who had been working for days, an emergency official making impossible decisions, and families leaving behind all their belongings in an attempt to reach safety.
He said about 5,000 people were taking part in the response, including firefighters, specialized teams and National Guard troops. He added that the state had reinforced its resources and mutual aid agreements with other jurisdictions in advance of the crisis.
Upthegrove said there was an enormous task ahead, but that thousands of people were working together with a collective mission to protect lives and help the affected communities rebuild.
Oregon and Montana also battling major fires
Oregon is fighting 48 active fires, including 20 classified as large, according to the state's Department of Emergency Management. About 25,000 people remain at risk of evacuation, and more than 20 homes have already been destroyed.
In Montana, six large fires remain active and uncontrolled. Idaho and Utah are also affected, with flames consuming large stretches of land. In Utah, a fire classified as "catastrophic" killed more than 100 head of cattle and forced evacuations near the town of Fillmore, in the central part of the state.
Drought and wind fuel worst season in decades
Authorities attributed the crisis to a combination of drought, low humidity and strong winds, conditions that have made this the worst fire season in the Pacific Northwest in more than three decades.
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency and banned nearly all agricultural and waste burning until September 30 in an effort to prevent new fires from starting.
Forecasters expect temporary relief from cooler temperatures and weaker winds, which could help crews battling the blazes. However, authorities warned that temperatures would rise again from Wednesday, keeping the risk of new fires elevated.
