Wildfires tear through 1m acres in US west as 16,000 firefighters battle onslaught

Drought and deadly heatwaves fuel flames that threaten Native American tribal lands struggling to save water

Wildfires burning across the US west have engulfed nearly a million acres and drawn in about 16,000 firefighters and workers to battle the blazes. The onslaught comes as the region reels from intense drought and deadly heatwaves amplified by the climate crisis.

“The amount of fire, where they’re burning, and just the intensity of them is very concerning,” said Faith Kearns, a scientist at the California Institute for Water Resources.

Related: More than 60 wildfires rage across US west – including blaze bigger than Portland

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