Death toll rises as firefighters battle West Coast wildfires
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| Beavercreek, Ore.
Nearly all the dozens of people reported missing after a devastating blaze in southern Oregon have been accounted for, authorities said over the weekend as crews battled wildfires that have killed at least 33 from California to Washington state.
The flames up and down the West Coast have destroyed neighborhoods, leaving nothing but charred rubble and burned-out cars, forced tens of聽thousands to flee聽and cast a shroud of smoke that has given Seattle, San Francisco, and Portland, Oregon, some of the worst air quality in the world.
The smoke filled the air with an acrid metallic smell like pennies and spread to nearby states. While making it difficult to breathe, it helped firefighters by blocking the sun and turning the weather cooler as they tried to get a handle on the blazes, which were slowing in some places.
But warnings of low moisture and strong winds that could fan the flames added urgency to the battle. The so-called red flag warnings stretched from hard-hit southern Oregon to Northern California and extended through Monday evening.
Lexi Soulios, her husband, and son were afraid they would have to evacuate for a second time because of the weather. They left their small southern Oregon town of Talent last week when they saw a 鈥渂ig, huge flow of dark smoke coming up,鈥 then went past roadblocks Friday to pick through the charred ruins of their home.
While they are staying farther south in Ashland, known for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, she said by text message that the forecast may mean they could be on the move again.
鈥淪o this isn鈥檛 over yet but we just had the car checked so we feel prepared,鈥 Ms. Soulios wrote.
Authorities last week reported as many as 50 people could be missing after a wildfire in the Ashland area. But the Jackson County sheriff鈥檚 office said late Saturday that four people had died in the blaze and that the number of missing was down to one.
At least 10 people have been killed in the past week throughout Oregon. Officials have said more people are missing from other fires, and the number of fatalities is likely to rise, though they have not said how high the toll could go as they search. In California, 22 people have died, and one in Washington state. Thousands of homes and other buildings have burned.
Barbara Rose Bettison, 25, left her farm among the trees and fields of Eagle Creek, outside Portland, when a sheriff鈥檚 deputy knocked on her door Tuesday. They drove away on a road that became an ominous dividing line, with blue skies on one side and the other filled with black and brown smoke.
She聽took shelter聽at an Elks Lodge near Portland, where evacuees wrapped themselves in blankets and set up tents out back.
鈥淚t鈥檚 terrifying. We鈥檝e never had any form of natural disaster,鈥 she said.
Ms. Bettison, a UPS driver, was able to get out with her chickens, rabbits and cats. She hasn鈥檛 been back, but neighbors said it is so smoky they can鈥檛 see their hands in front of their faces.
鈥淚鈥檓 hoping there has not been too much damage because it would break my heart,鈥 she said.
Farther south in the town of Talent, Dave Monroe came to his burned home, partially hoping he鈥檇 find his three cats.
鈥淲e thought we鈥檇 get out of this summer with no fires,鈥 he said. 鈥淭here is something going on, that鈥檚 for sure, man. Every summer we鈥檙e burning up.鈥
Numerous studies in recent years have linked bigger wildfires in the U.S. to global warming from the burning of coal, oil, and gas.
The Democratic governors of all three states say the fires are a consequence of climate change, taking aim at President Donald Trump ahead of his visit Monday to California for a fire briefing.
鈥淚t is maddening right now that when we have this cosmic challenge to our communities, with the entire West Coast of the United States on fire, to have a president to deny that these are not just wildfires, these are climate fires,鈥 Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said Sunday on ABC鈥檚 鈥淭his Week.鈥
At a rally in Nevada, Mr. Trump blamed inadequate forest management, which White House adviser Peter Navarro echoed on CNN鈥檚 鈥淪tate of the Union,鈥 saying that for many years in California, 鈥減articularly because of budget cutbacks, there was no inclination to manage our forests.鈥
Firefighter Steve McAdoo has run from one blaze to another in Oregon for six days, seeing buildings burn and trees light up like candles.
鈥淲e lost track of time because you can鈥檛 see the sun and you鈥檝e been up for so many days,鈥 he said. 鈥48 to 72 hours nonstop, you feel like you鈥檙e in a dream.鈥
As he and his team battled the blazes, Mr. McAdoo worried about his wife and daughter at home just miles away. They evacuated safely, but at times he could communicate with them only in one-word text messages: 鈥渂usy.鈥
Mr. McAdoo and other firefighters got their first real break Sunday to take showers, shave, and check their equipment. And though it鈥檚 a faint shadow of its usual self, he can finally see the sun.
鈥淚t鈥檚 nice today to at least see the dot in the sky,鈥 he said.
Meanwhile, Oregon鈥檚 fire marshal, who resigned after being placed on leave amid a personnel investigation, says he was trying to help a colleague and 鈥渄idn鈥檛 do anything wrong.鈥
Jim Walker told TV news station KOIN in Portland that state police leaders put him on leave after he tried to help a co-worker whose family was missing in a fire zone, saying his superiors decided he had overstepped his authority.
This story was reported by The Associated Press. Whitehurst reported from Beavercreek, and Cline from Salem. Associated Press journalist Manuel Valdes in Talent contributed.