Oregon officials brace for “mass fatality incident” as 36-mile-wide wall of flames threatens Portland
Officials in Oregon have issued a warning that they are preparing for a "mass fatality incident,” with over 1 million acres being consumed by the flames.
As much of the west coast remains mired in smoke and raging fires, officials in Oregon have issued a stark warning that they are preparing for a
“mass fatality incident,” with over 1 million acres being consumed by the flames as well as at least seven confirmed deaths and dozens missing during this week’s wildfires,
Potentially thousands of homes may have been wiped out while at least half a dozen homes were decimated when walls of fires consumed the region.
And as 36-mile-wide line of flames edged into the towns around Portland, encroaching closer on the major city, Portland’s mayor has declared a state of emergency as the unfolding disaster worsens.
Earlier Friday, Gov. Kate Brown said that over 1 million acres had gone up in flames across Oregon. The number is about twice the yearly average over the past decade, according to
The Oregonian.
Upwards of half a million people, or 12 percent of the state’s population, are under some kind of evacuation warning or order while about 40,000 have been subject to mandatory evacuation due to what the governor warned was a “
once-in-a-generation event.”
