{"id":135356,"date":"2021-08-12T15:41:30","date_gmt":"2021-08-12T15:41:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/?p=135356"},"modified":"2021-08-12T15:41:30","modified_gmt":"2021-08-12T15:41:30","slug":"wildifires-in-montana-2021-how-many-people-were-forced-to-evacuate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/world-news\/wildifires-in-montana-2021-how-many-people-were-forced-to-evacuate\/","title":{"rendered":"Wildifires in Montana 2021: How many people were forced to evacuate?"},"content":{"rendered":"

WILDFIRES continue to ravage through California, but Montana residents have been affected by the effects of the blaze. <\/p>\n

Hundreds of residents in Montana have been forced to leave their homes to avoid the effects of the fires. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How many people were forced to evacuate Montana?<\/h2>\n

The Richard Spring wildfire, that's currently burning in the southeast of the state, has torched around 150,000 acres of land and is only 15 percent contained.<\/p>\n

Several thousand people are said to remain under evacuation orders as the inferno rages across the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation.<\/p>\n

The blaze was only two miles from the small town of Lame Deer \u2013 which has a population of around 2,000 people.<\/p>\n

Residents in Ashland and Colstrip are also under evacuation orders and emergency shelters have been set up.<\/p>\n

Aircraft have been pictured dropping fire retardant spray as crews try to get the blaze under control.<\/p>\n

When did the blaze in Montana begin?<\/h2>\n

The fire, which started on August 8, 2021, is being driven by strong gusts and scorching temperatures with the mercury set to reach close to 100F in the coming days.<\/p>\n

Montana\u00a0currently has 25 active blazes \u2013 the most in the US – according to the\u00a0National Interagency Fire Center.<\/p>\n

Rancher John Pepper said he saw an orange glow emerge in the distance while riding his horse.<\/p>\n

He told the\u00a0Associated Press: \u201cI don\u2019t know if I\u2019ll have a house in the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not known if any homes have been destroyed.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What other states are being affected by wildfires?<\/h2>\n

There are more than a dozen fires raging in the states of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, there are 11 blazes currently burning in\u00a0California\u00a0as the Dixie wildfire continues to wreak havoc.<\/p>\n

More than 500,000 acres of land have been scorched as the blaze engulfed an area larger than the size of\u00a0New York City, according to the latest statistics.<\/p>\n

The fire has already devastated the town of Greenville, which is located more than 300 miles away from San Francisco.<\/p>\n

Fire chiefs estimate that the blaze is 30 percent contained, according to\u00a0CNN.<\/p>\n

More than 500 homes have been destroyed but fire chiefs warn that around 15,000 structures remain at risk.<\/p>\n

Devastating before and after pictures show the extent of the devastation as the blaze leveled communities, threatening lives.<\/p>\n

Homes and churches in Greenville are piles of rubble while satellite images show the damage to forests.<\/p>\n

Cars have been abandoned as crews try to clear debris from roads.<\/p>\n

Drier and warmer weather is likely to hit the state in the coming days as firefighters expect another "tough week", the\u00a0Washington Post\u00a0reports.<\/p>\n

Edwin Zuniga, of Cal Fire, told the outlet: "We\u2019re seeing fire activity that even veteran firefighters haven\u2019t seen in their career."<\/p>\n

He warned that crews tackling the blaze are in \u201cunchartered territory\u201d.<\/p>\n

Are residents being evacuated in California?<\/h2>\n

Residents were told to evacuate but some were reluctant, prompting confrontational stand-offs.<\/p>\n

Gun-toting\u00a0Californians\u00a0reportedly ordered cops to \u201cget off their property\u201d as police advised them to leave the area.<\/p>\n

Several fires\u00a0continue to rage in California and smoke has caused air quality to deteriorate to very unhealthy levels.<\/p>\n

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for counties affected by the Dixie, McFarland, and Monument blazes.<\/p>\n

Officials fear that this year is currently on track to be California's worst-ever fire season.<\/p>\n

Where is there a heatwave going on?<\/h2>\n

Wildfires continue to rage as more than 150million Americans are bracing themselves for a\u00a0multi-day heatwave.<\/p>\n

The National Weather Service (NWS) has warned that "dangerously hot conditions" are expected in some parts of the country, particularly the Pacific Northwest.<\/p>\n

In Oregon, meanwhile, Gov. Katie Brown declared a state of emergency on Tuesday as the region braced for triple-digit temperatures.<\/p>\n

Cooling centers are being set up in vacant buildings in Portland while officials have sent emergency heat warnings to residents' phones.<\/p>\n

This week's heatwave comes\u00a0just a month after record-shattering hot weather killed hundreds\u00a0in the Pacific Northwest when temperatures soared to 116 degrees Fahrenheit.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, temperatures in Spokane, Washington, are expected to climb to 109F by Friday.<\/p>\n

Back-to-back heatwaves are battering the Pacific Northwest where states usually see summers of 70-80F.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0June 2021 heat in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia\u00a0killed hundreds of extremely vulnerable residents.<\/p>\n