huge forest Fire raging out of control in Oregon USAwhile various areas in the western part of the country are engulfed in fires that have forced thousands of people from their homes, local authorities said.

Nearly 350,000 acres have burned in the so-called Cedar Creek Fire, which has quadrupled in size in four days and is raging across two counties in central Oregon, according to the National Wildfire Coordination Service (NWCG).

More than 2,000 residents and 400 commercial buildings are at risk of fire. At the same time, for several days, the authorities have activated the third level of their evacuation plan in some areas, which means that there is an imminent danger in these areas and that residents must leave them immediately.

Hundreds of citizens were ordered to evacuate, and authorities warned thousands more to prepare.

The atmosphere in big cities is suffocating

According to the NWCG, smoke from the fire enveloped the area and affected air quality.

The Cedar Creek Fire spread due to the weather conditions that prevailed last week: a combination of easterly winds, high temperatures and drought.

Eight helicopters and more than 1,000 firefighters tried to contain the August 1 blaze today. Last Sunday, firefighters focused on creating fire zones along the roads.

The western United States is suffering the effects of more than two decades of drought exacerbated by climate change.

Currently, more than 90 wildfires are active in eight states in the western US, choking the atmosphere in major cities such as Seattle, among them the Fairview Fire in the Los Angeles area and the Mosquito Fire on the outskirts of Sacramento.

^{Source: APE-MEB, AFP.}