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More than 20,000 people in southwest Canada and the western United States have fled their homes as wildfires, fueled by hot, dry weather, burn more than 3 million acres.As of Aug. 9, the National Interagency Fire Center reported 183 wildfires burning across the United States, including eight large new ones. Firefighters were working to contain 94 of those blazes, the agency said. The Wrights Spring Fire in southern Oregon has burned more than 30,000 acres since it started Aug. 5 and claimed the life of a first responder. Jason Ensign, 47, from Klamath Falls, Oregon, was operating a bulldozer to improve access to the fire when it unexpectedly grew. Rescue crews later found him dead.As of Aug. 9, the fire remained uncontained. The fire and three others across Oregon forced evacuations. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek expressed condolences for Ensign’s family in a post on social media, saying his death was a "stark reminder" of the dangers first responders face.In a subsequent post wishing Smokey Bear a happy birthday Aug. 9, Kotek urged people to do "everything possible to prevent new fires." Wildfires burn across western USIn northern Utah, one blaze, called the Rocky Canyon fire, has grown more than 4,000 acres since it ignited on Aug. 7. Residents living near the fire, about 30 miles northeast of Salt Lake City, received their evacuation orders Aug. 9.The fire was 0% contained as of 9 p.m. ET. Two helicopter pilots died Aug. 7 while fighting a different inferno, the Widemouth 2 Fire, in southern Utah. That fire consumed 118,000 acres, the largest in the state so far this year, and was 26% contained as of Aug. 9. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox offered prayers to the pilot’s families in a social media post, saying the state would not forget "their courage, their service, and their sacrifice." In a news release announcing the deaths, the U.S. Forest Service said this year’s "an abnormally dry and warm winter" has led to a particularly intense fire season this summer. Fires are burning in Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho, Colorado, California, Minnesota, New Mexico, and Nevada, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Of the 94 ablaze, 4 have been contained. Three wildfires near Spokane, Washington, consumed more than 16 square miles of land and forced more than 65,000 people to flee their homes as of Aug. 4.Wildfire threat extends beyond USMore than 20,000 people have been evacuated near Okanagan Lake in western Canada. The fast-moving Bald Range wildfire has burned nearly 34,000 acres and is considered "out of control" by the British Columbia Wildfire Service.British Columbia Premier David Eby said in a social media post on Aug. 9 that a woman lost her life during the Bald Range wildfire evacuation."My heart goes out to her family, friends, neighbors, and all those who knew her and will miss her," Eby said.British Columbia is battling 103 active wildfires as of Aug. 9, with lightning storms expected to increase the risk of new ignitions, according to the wildfire service. Contributing: Christopher Cann and Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY; Zach Urness, Statesman Journal
