4 things to know for August 25

Unfortunately, the people and firefighters have to wait until the weekend when rainfall will help in putting off the wildfires.

Firefighters across the West have been overwhelmed by destructive blazes tearing through the tinder-dry region. Firefighters had been limited to attacking the blaze by air because the steep, dense terrain left few escape options for ground crews if the fire suddenly shifted.

Highway 2 along the southern edge of Glacier National Park remains open, although drivers may experience delays as pilot cars escort traffic through the area.

Snohomish County Fire District 7 firefighter Brandon Gardner pulls a water hose into position while helping prevent a wildfire from spreading to a nearby homeowner’s property near Okanogan, Washington.

Suzanne Flory, spokeswoman for the U.S. Forest Service, said there’s a worry that once the smoke lifts and humidity drops the rising heat will cause the fires to flare up.

Thousands of people are still under mandatory evacuation notices while homes and buildings are threatened. Authorities have yet to say how many homes are affected.

The wildfire was sparked off by lightning. He stayed in place as the fire raced over a ridge and barreled down toward his house, flames lapping just feet from his back porch.

Roughly 30,000 firefighters and support personnel have deployed to fight all the wildfires, Eardley said, with contingents from Australia, New Zealand and Canada arriving to help battle the blazes.

Work on the Morrell Complex fires, burning seven miles northeast of Seeley Lake, has doubled containment of the blaze, now at 20 percent.

In south-central Oregon, residents were ordered to evacuate from the path of the Canyon Creek Complex, formed when three fires near the community of John Day merged, threatening as many as 130 homes, the U.S. Forest Service said.

While the number of new fires may be going down, Skrepnek said it’s too early to say it’s the end of fire season.

According to NBC News, hundreds lost their homes to the fires, and more than 12,000 more are on the verge of losing theirs in case new fires spread.

The resort was open for mountain biking and grand ski-lift rides before shutting for the flame that broke out Sunday evening.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued the warning for east of the Continental Divide and north of Interstate 70.

Wildfires have consumed more than half a million acres in Washington state – and with firefighting crews stretched thin, state government is taking an unprecedented step.