Roaring Wildfire Ravages Western U.S. States (Photos)

Wildfires have wreaked havoc in the western states of the U.S., engulfing hundreds of houses, charring acres of wood- and grass-lands in the past two days. Ravaging flames have been spreading fast to new areas aided by drought-like situations as the firemen continued to douse the flames amid scorching temperatures.

Hundreds of people have been evacuated from the affected states, including Washington State, Idaho, California, Oregon and Oklahoma, and the highways are shut and traffic is controlled in several parts of the states. More than a dozen of wildfires are burning out of control in the mountainous regions of the Washington, Idaho and California states.  

Wildfires have consumed about 6.3 million acres (2 million hectares) across the country this season, over 1 million acres more than the 10-year average for this time of the year, Reuters reported, quoting the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise. So far, hundreds of houses have been destroyed by the fire and acres of farmland and forest have been consumed by the wildfires.

Lightening ignited blazes in many areas of Oregon and Washington, while in Idaho a utility vehicle caught fire, leading to the conflagration. Firemen are finding it difficult to find the cause of fire in many cases.

Thousands of firemen are trying to douse the flames with fire retardants across the country. Torrid conditions with a triple-digit temperature prevailing in the region has mad matters worse for the firefighters as strong winds and arid land have only made it worse by enabling the flames to advance rapidly to new areas.