Historic wildfires sweep Pacific Northwest amid extreme drought conditions

A series of fast-moving fires in Washington and Oregon have consumed hundreds of structures and forced tens of thousands to evacuate, highlighting how rising temperatures and drier conditions are creating larger, more destructive blazes in

First covered Aug 7, 2026 · 11:22 AM PT · 3 articles

Historic wildfires sweep Pacific Northwest amid extreme drought conditions — Image via heatmap.news

Coverage

47d Guardian Environment ‘Unprecedented, dangerous territory’: US north-west reckons with a summer of historic wildfires — Extreme conditions in Washington and Oregon have fueled fast-moving fires, leaving the region draped in toxic plumes – and the danger isn’t over Piles of…

49d Wired Science Spokane Shows What the New Era of Wildfires Looks Like — With rising temperatures and drier conditions, fires are more likely to explode. And with more people living next to forests, the results can be catastrophic.

50d Heatmap News Why the Fix Our Forests Act Is Still Stuck in Congress — It has been five days since the Old Trail fire burned through northeast Spokane, one of three blazes to encroach on the periphery of Washington state’s…

Primary sources

npr.org Environmental groups sue government to stop a big change to the Endangered Species Act — cited by 2 of the outlets above

nytimes.com Wildfires Air Quality Oregon Washington (nytimes.com) — cited by 2 of the outlets above

grist.org Wildfire season is changing. Spokane is showing how. — cited by 2 of the outlets above

Related coverage

50d Heatmap News Which Wildfire Smoke Is Worst?

49d Inside Climate News Massive Wildfires Test the Limits of International Cooperation

More coverage from around the web

curtis.senate.gov CURTIS, WESTERN SENATORS INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN FIX OUR FORESTS ACT - Senator John Curtis

wildfiretaskforce.org Senate Advances Bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act - California Wildfire & Forest Resilience

congress.gov H.R.471 - 119th Congress (2025-2026): Fix Our Forests Act | Congress.gov | Library of Congress

insurancejournal.com As Wildfires Destroy and Displace, APCIA Says Congress Must Pass Fix Our Forests Act

hcn.org Fix Our Forests Act divides environmental community - High Country News

Appeared in: 2026-08-10 (#14)

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