Extreme heat fuels deadly wildfires across the West
Extreme heat is driving fire danger and fueling major wildfires from California’s wine country to Oregon’s forests and the Grand Canyon.
As of the evening of Aug. 25, the Pickett Fire has burned more than 6,800 acres with only 15 percent containment. This fire has been burning rapidly since Aug. 21, in Napa County, California.
Wildfires are intensifying across the western United States amid dry fuels and gusty winds, leaving one firefighter dead in Montana and thousands of homes threatened elsewhere.
Millions of people are under heat watches and warnings from California to Washington, with temperatures soaring past 100 degrees in some areas. AccuWeather experts warn that any new fire starts could quickly spread in the hot, dry conditions.
Fires in California, Oregon
Firefighters battle the Pickett Fire burning in the Aetna Springs area of Napa County, California, on Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025. (Photo credit: AP Photo/Noah Berger)
In California’s Napa County, the Pickett Fire has burned nearly ,000 acres and prompted mandatory evacuations. More than 2,000 firefighters are battling the blaze, including 10 helicopter crews, Cal Fire said. As of Friday morning, the fire was 41% contained.
Cal Fire investigators have interviewed a contractor and a vineyard manager in Calistoga where the blaze is believed to have started, according to NBC Bay Area. Investigators are looking into whether improperly discarded ashes may have sparked the fire, after a contract worker reportedly removed ashes from what he thought was a cooled oven and placed them on a pile of flammable material.
An aircraft makes a fire retardant drop during the Pickett fire in Calistoga, California on August 21, 2025. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images)
The Flat Fire, burning approximately two miles northeast of Sisters, Oregon, has scorched nearly 24,000 acres and destroyed at least 10 structures, including four homes. Thousands of additional homes are threatened, according to Central Oregon Fire Info. Evacuations remain in effect under the direction of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. The Flat Fire is only 7% contained.
Colorado's Lee Fire 4th largest in state history
The Lee Fire in northwest Colorado has grown to nearly 140,00 acres, making it the fourth-largest wildfire in the state’s history.
The blaze, burning near the town of Meeker in Rio Blanco County, located about 220 miles west of Denver, surpassed the size of the 2002 Hayman Fire, which consumed 137,760 acres between Denver and Colorado Springs. Drought, extreme weather, and multiple days of Red Flag warnings have fueled the Lee Fire’s rapid spread, pushing it past 100,000 acres in just eight days, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
As of Friday, the Lee Fire was 90% contained. Officials confirmed it has already destroyed several homes and government buildings and forced evacuations in the county.
Grand Canyon fire slows with monsoon rain
In Arizona, the Dragon Bravo Fire, sparked by lightning on July 4 on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, has burned more than 145,000 acres. Recent rain from the annual monsoon has slowed fire activity, allowing crews to reach 75% containment. Firefighters are now shifting to suppression repair, removing hazard trees and stabilizing soil to restore access routes into the park.
Utah fire nearing full containment
In central Utah, officials report strong progress on the Monroe Canyon Fire, which has burned nearly 73,000 acres and forced evacuations. The blaze is now 95% contained.
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