Bootleg Fire Perimeter Now 200 Miles, 281 Thousand Acres Burned

The Bootleg fire is so large it is progressing four to five miles per day.

bootleg fire

As of July 17th, 2021 the Bootleg Fire in Southern Oregon (currently the nation's largest burning fire), has burned 281,208 acres, and has a fire perimeter of 200 miles.

To give you an idea of how large the Bootleg fire is, it's larger than the size of Crater Lake National Park, which is only around 183 thousand acres. The Bootleg fire is currently at 22% containment and is located in Klamath and Lake counties.

bootleg fire
Bootleg Fire Infared Map as of July 17, 2021. Map courtesy of National Infared Operations.

Firefighters have been utilizing fire retardant drops via plane and water bucket drops. So far 21 homes and 54 other buildings have been destroyed by the fire. Around 2,000 people have been forced to evacuate as the fire continues to spread. Local organizations such as the Klamath County Food Bank and Klamath County School District have been donating food and meals to those affected by the crisis.

The Bootleg Fire is still very active on the southeastern corner near Grouse Prairie. According to Incident Commander Joe Hassel, the fire is so large that it's progressing four to five miles per day.

bootleg fire
Bootleg Fire Briefing Map from July 17, 2021

You can get up-to-date Bootleg Fire maps from Cascade Firewatch here. Cascade Firewatch on Facebook has updated information on the Bootleg Fire daily do be sure to give them a follow.

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