Western Wildfires Burn More Than 300,000 Acres; Oregon's Bootleg and California's Beckwourth Complex Fires Still Growing

Over 300,000 acres of land were affected in the series of wildfires across six states in the U.S. western region as of Sunday, July 11.

USA Today reported that the wildfires continue over parts of Oregon, California, Arizona, Washington, Idaho, and Montana.

Wildfires in the West Continue

To date, the biggest wildfire in the region was known to be the Bootleg Fire in Oregon, which accounted for up to 143,607 acres burned.

On the other hand, the Beckwourth Complex fire blazed up to 83,926 acres of land in California. In Washington, the largest wildfire in the state burned at least 46,352 acres.

In Idaho, wildfires burned at least 39,000 acres as of Sunday, July 11, while The Cedar Story Basin Fire in Arizona charred 700 acres. Montana reported cases of wildfires that caused road closures in the state, but the number of acres burned was not detailed.

Details whether there are casualties and the rate of the fire contained in the states of Washington, Idaho, and Montana, was also not provided.

The Beckwourth Complex Fire in California was reported to be eight percent contained. The Bootleg Fire in Oregon and the Cedar Story Basin Fire in Arizona were zero percent contained.

The wildfire in Arizona also left at least two firefighters dead after a plane that responded to the scene crashed on Saturday, July 10.

Apart from burning thousands of acres, The New York Times reported that the presence of wildfires in the west placed pressure on California's electrical system, leading the state to a "Stage 2 power-grid emergency."

Bootleg and Beckwourth Complex Fires Continue to Burn in Oregon

The Bootleg and the Beckwourth Complex fires continued in the states of Oregon and California. The New York Times reported that the Bootleg fire continued to burn the Oregon lands on its fifth day on Sunday. The intense blaze in Oregon escalated on Saturday, prompting firefighters to retreat for their safety.

"There's a concern because of how early this [wildfires in Oregon] is starting, and how far it has grown within a relatively short amount of time," said Medford National Weather Service Meteorologist Charles Smith said, adding that Oregon's fire season just began.

Meanwhile, the Beckwourth Complex Fire has expanded to Nevada, where it was reported to jump a famous highway in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, NBC News reported. The complex fire in California also forced evacuation in Washoe County and destroyed at least 20 homes.

U.S. Forest and Service incident spokeswoman Kimberly Kaschalk noted that "dry condition and winds" were factors for the fire spread in the Beckwourth Complex.

The wildfires in the west happened as the region also faced threats of historic heatwaves. Over the weekend, several areas in the region hit a three-digit temperature, such as the Mojave Desert in California, which reached around 128 degrees on Saturday, July 10.

Palm Springs also hit a record of 120 degrees, while Las Vegas recorded a temperature of 117 degrees on Saturday afternoon.

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Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Wildfires Rage in the West as Temperatures Soar Into Triple Digits - From CBS Evening News