A wildfire near the Washington-Oregon border burned out of control on Sunday, forcing thousands to evacuate their homes and flee from the blaze.
The Nakia Creek Fire began Oct. 9 near Vancouver, Washington. Officials said it broke containment lines on Sunday and grew in size from 156 acres to about 2,000 acres in a matter of hours.
Residents of more than 2,900 homes in Washington state were issued a “Level 3 Go Now” evacuation notice by Sunday night telling them to evacuate, according to the Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency. Thousands more have been told to be prepared to evacuate.
The fire has been fueled by powerful winds and unseasonably high temperatures. The temperature in Vancouver was 86 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday, a stark contrast to the typical mid-October temperature that rarely exceeds the low 60s. Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency officials described a fire official telling a crew that “while the calendar may say it’s October 16th … I need you to think like it’s August 16th.”
Some cities experienced record-high temperatures over the weekend. Seattle hit 88 degrees Sunday, marking its second-warmest October day on record and breaking the daily record of 72 degrees set in 2018, according to the National Weather Service.
“With the current weather patterns here in the [Pacific Northwest], we have another good week of potential fire weather,” Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency officials said.
Winds are expected to ease but temperatures will remain above average for the next few days, CNN reports. Hot conditions will linger until Thursday, before dropping to average and below average for the weekend. Rain is also expected over the weekend.
Oregon experienced similar conditions over the past month, leading to continuing wildfire threats in the Pacific Northwest. In September, the Cedar Creek Fire burned more than 86,000 acres in central Oregon and, like the Nakia Creek Fire, forced residents to evacuate.