Crews From Alaska To Puerto Rico Are Trying To Control The Bootleg Fire

By Katia Riddle / NPR

Published August 4, 2021 at 4:20 AM PDT

This story was published more than 3 years ago.

A fire warning sign is seen amid trees which smolder and burn in Division Echo Echo of the Bootleg Fire on July 25, 2021, in the Fremont National Forest of Oregon.

Fire crews in Oregon are working hard to contain the Bootleg Fire. There are firefighters on site from as far west as Alaska and as far south as Puerto Rico.

Every morning, outside a small town called Silver Lake, Emery Johnson and hundreds of her coworkers climb out of their tents and RVs and gather around a large map. It displays the 647 square miles in Oregon that are on fire.

Authorities warn current conditions are ideal for more fires. Officials say embers from the Bootleg Fire can travel long distances on the current 25 mph winds.

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That's why the crews won't let up, and why they're planning to be here until they see the first snow.

There's a long history of controlled fires and megafires in the West and plenty to learn from their impact as these record-setting fires become almost routine. OPB's Erin Ross has more.

This story originally appeared on the Morning Edition live blog.