Oregon Wildfires: Rain Brings Relief, Worries Turn to Mudslides

By Mary Anne R. First Posted: Sep 18, 2020 09:48 PM EDT

A change in weather in Oregon on Friday morning has provided some relief to one of the states most affected by wildfires.

Oregon experienced heavy rainfall and thunderstorms, which helped put down fires and improved the state's air quality. Around eight people have already died due to the wildfires scorching the state. Several small towns have been destroyed.

However, with this temporary relief that the rain provided, there have been new risks. State officials and the National Weather Service warned of flash flooding and landslides, especially in areas where fires have burned hillsides.

"A storm event coming in today will bring welcome moisture. Winds and lightning strikes are still a concern, but the rain is a welcome sight," Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said in a report.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality said that smoke is slowly clearing out around Interstate 5, the main highway along the West Coast.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, a firefighter in California was killed on Thursday while fighting the El Dorado fire. The El Dorado fire started around two weeks ago. It was caused by a smoke-generating device used in a gender reveal party.

As of Friday morning, the El Dorado fire had burned over 21,000 acres in 12 days and was 66 percent contained.

The latest data from the National Interagency Fire Center showed that there are currently 79 large active fires ravaging the U.S. The largest numbers of wildfires are in California, Idaho, and Oregon.

Milder weather in California on Friday morning helped the firefighters control the wildfires there, California's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said. But weather conditions in southern California were warm and dry on Friday.

Los Angeles is forecasted to experience cooling and humidity recovery this weekend. Cal Fire noted that more dangerous dry conditions would return to the north.

Meanwhile, wildfire smoke is seen to spread across the country, moving north into Canada and across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe. People are being exposed to some of the wildfires' effects, which include carbon monoxide and smog.

The number of wildfires happening across the country has decreased over the years. However, climate change has triggered larger and more intense fires that burned more lands, especially in dry conditions.

Another factor that worsens the fire spread is the growing number of people who move to fire-prone wildland areas. Population growth in those places has more flammable material. This makes it harder for responders to prioritize saving lives and land to contain the spreading wildfires.

California, in recent years, has seen property loss, mainly focused in the rural areas. NIFC spokeswoman Carrie Bilbao said humans play a big role.

"Not [by] just causing fires, but where they live and moving into areas where fires are," Bilbao said in a report.

More than 17,000 firefighters are fighting 25 major wildfires across California, Cal Fire said. The state's fire agency further noted that more than 3.3 million acres had been burned this year, an all-time record in California's wildfire history.

In Oregon, wildfires have destroyed more than 586,000 acres. At least 764,000 acres in Washington were affected.