Wildfire burns area nearly the size of LA

A firefighter in night operations on July 17 and early July 18, at the Bootleg Fire. Pic/AFP

Erratic winds and dry lightning added to the dangers for crews battling the nation's largest wildfire on Monday in parched Oregon forests, just one of dozens burning across several Western states in the US.

The destructive Bootleg Fire, one of the largest in modern Oregon history, has already burned more than 476 square miles (1,210 sq km), an area about the size of Los Angeles. The blaze just north of the California state line was 25% contained.

Meteorologists predicted critically dangerous fire weather through at least Monday with lightning possible in both California and southern Oregon. "With the very dry fuels, any thunderstorm has the potential to ignite new fire starts," the National Weather Service in Sacramento, California, said on Twitter.

Thousands have been ordered to evacuate, including some 2,000 people who live in rugged terrain among lakes and wildlife refuges near the fire, which has burned at least 67 homes and 100 outbuildings while threatening more.

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