Fires burn on the west coast of the US, but the weather offers hope

More than 20,000 firefighters across the United States are fighting deadly wildfires sprawling across the West Coast as the arrival of cooler weather offered hope for respite.

The true scale of the destruction of dozens of massive fires in the states of California, Oregon and Washington remains difficult to measure, with 16 confirmed deaths so far this week but vast stretches still cut by flames.

“We anticipate that number [of deaths] It can potentially go up as we return to areas that have been ravaged by flames and obviously the smoke is starting to clear, “warned California Governor Gavin Newsom while visiting a burned forest near the raging North Complex Fire.

Ten people have been confirmed dead from that fire in Butte County, which was driven at an unprecedented rate into the city of Oroville earlier in the week by strong, dry winds and elevated temperatures.

But Newsom said the weather “is starting to cooperate,” with calm winds and some rain forecasts for the next few days.

In neighboring Oregon, where a million acres have been burned and three people are reported to have died and dozens are still unknown, Gov. Kate Brown also expressed hope that the corner has been changed.

More than 40,000 Oregonians have fled their homes so far, with about 500,000 under evacuation warnings, Brown said at a news conference, clarifying earlier higher figures given by state officials.

“The weather system that fuels these fires in recent days has finally broken down,” he said.

“We anticipate cooler air and humidity in the coming days, which is very good news.”

Dozens of people were still missing in connection with the fires, specifically in Jackson, Lane and Marion counties, Ms Brown said.

Earlier in the week, Ms Brown warned that Oregon could expect to see a “great loss, both in structures and in human lives.”

The August complex fire this week became by far the largest fire on record in California history, obliterating 300,000 hectares of dry vegetation in the north of the state as a result of multiple fires combined.

But it is just one of about 100 large fires on the US West Coast, and other fast-growing fires near populated areas have proven to be more deadly.