Western US wildfires spark large‑scale firefighting efforts and utility safeguards

The Oregon Department of Forestry reports that roughly 10,333 personnel are assigned to 30 major fires across the state as lightning ignites new blazes. Key incidents include the Akawa Butte fire (27,287 acres, 5% contained) near Sisters, the Brewer fire (29,895 acres, 5% contained) east of Madras, and the East Evans Creek fire (15,705 acres, 38% contained) near Rogue River. Fire crews are working around the clock to contain these rapidly spreading wildfires while urging the public to follow fire‑restriction rules to prevent human‑caused ignitions.

In California, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) is bolstering its wildfire‑season preparedness. The utility is installing more than 1,600 weather stations and 600 high‑definition cameras, trimming over 1.5 million trees, and upgrading more than 1,900 miles of overhead power lines. PG&E has also expanded backup‑power options, including portable batteries and residential storage programs, and it now delivers outage alerts in 16 languages and provides special support for customers with accessibility needs. The company says power shutoffs remain a last resort, used only when humidity, wind, red‑flag warnings, and dry vegetation reach critical levels.