‘Unprecedented, dangerous territory’: US north-west reckons with a summer of historic wildfires

The US Pacific Northwest is experiencing a record-breaking wildfire season, with millions of acres burned in Washington and Oregon. Experts attribute the intensity and duration of these fires to the ongoing climate crisis.
Why it matters
The increasing frequency and severity of wildfires pose significant threats to infrastructure, public health, and regional ecosystems.
The aftermath of the Old Trails wildfire in Spokane, Washington, on 4 August. Extreme conditions in Washington and Oregon have fueled fast-moving fires, leaving the region draped in toxic plumes – and the danger isn’t over
Prefer the Guardian on Google Piles of twisted metal and ashen debris line the cul-de-sacs where the tranquil suburbs of Spokane, Washington , once stood.
The scale of devastation from a historic fire season of wildfire in the Pacific north-west has come into sharper focus as firefighters wrangle a trio of blazes that consumed at least 846 structures on the eastern side of the state.
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