Oregon

Oregon’s top fire official resigned Saturday as wildfires continued to rage there and in other Western states.Marshal Jim Walker submitted a resignation letter to the superintendent of the Oregon State Police after he was placed on paid administrative leave, FOX 12 Oregon reported.No reason for Walker’s departure was officially disclosed but sources said State Police…

Lighter winds and rising humidity overnight helped efforts to tackle massive wildfires in Oregon that have taken lives, destroyed property and burned a million acres. But state emergency management director Andrew Phelps said officials were “preparing for a mass fatality incident based on what we know and the numbers of structures that have been lost”.…

At the grassy, creekside park to the rear of the Elk’s Lodge in Milwaukie, Oregon, about 100 evacuees were quartered in an assortment of RVs, cars, and tents.Some, like Eric Sam, a lumber mill worker, had evacuated twice in recent days.“First we were in Oregon City, then they moved us here.”Sam said he, his wife…

Show captionAn orange smoke-filled sky is seen above Molalla, Oregon, on Thursday as fires burn nearby. Photograph: Deborah Bloom/AFP/Getty ImagesOregonClackamas county residents gathered in cars and tents describe destruction but also moments of kindnessAt the grassy, creekside park to the rear of the Elk’s Lodge in Milwaukie, Oregon, about 100 evacuees were quartered in an…

The two largest fires burning in Oregon have merged, and a third is  less than three miles away. The Lionshead Fire — which had already joined boundaries with the smaller P515 — and the Beachie Creek Fire have touched, north of Detroit Lake. The joined fire was initially renamed Santiam, but then was returned to…