Wildfires Rage Across the West, Forcing Thousands to Evacuate

As of August 27, 2025, firefighters are battling multiple large wildfires in central Oregon and California's wine country, with the blazes forcing evacuations and threatening thousands of homes. The Flat Fire in Oregon has torched 34 square miles of land and was only 5% contained as of August 26, while the Pickett Fire in northern California has consumed 10 square miles in Napa County.

The fires have erupted amid a heat wave that has unleashed near triple-digit temperatures and high winds across several western states, including California and Washington. Authorities have warned that the conditions may be "favorable for rapid fire spread" and could "threaten life and property." Nationwide, nearly 1 million acres are burning in at least 51 "large active fires," with most of the largest wildfires located in the western United States.

Despite the challenges, firefighters have made progress in recent days, setting up containment lines and working to extinguish hot spots. In central Oregon, the progress has allowed officials to reduce evacuation orders in some areas, though several communities near Sisters remain under threat. In northern California, the Pickett Fire is largely burning within the footprint of the destructive Glass Fire that ravaged the region in 2020, making it difficult for crews to control the fast-moving blaze.