(CNN) Despite the efforts of firefighters battling the Bootleg Fire , the raging flames of the nation's largest wildfire continued to spread in southern Oregon as officials declared weather warnings in the area.
The fire has scorched 408,930 acres as of Sunday, an expansion of more than 6,000 acres since Friday. The fire is currently 46% contained.
"This fire is resistant to stopping at dozer lines," said Jim Hampton, a fire behavior analyst. "With the critically dry weather and fuels we are experiencing, firefighters are having to constantly re-evaluate their control lines and look for contingency options," he noted in a statement posted on InciWeb , the clearinghouse for wildfire information in the US.
They dodged flames pushed by 30 mph winds. Crews fighting the huge Bootleg Fire still are trying to tame it
Dry and unstable conditions prompted a Red Flag Warning at the fire's site on Saturday, according to InciWeb. The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) said the warning is issued when there is "severe fire weather like strong sustained winds, gusts and low humidity, combined with a high fire danger rating."
Additionally, smoke and haze from other nearby fires lingered Sunday as temperatures remained warmer.
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"The smoke is expected to keep temperatures down a couple degrees ... which may help overall fire activity. Unfortunately, this smoke may impede air operations on the fire," according to InciWeb. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown told CNN's Jake Tapper Sunday morning that the state is getting federal support from the Biden administration to help fight the Bootleg Fire, but future fire prevention is key. "It's incredibly important with climate change that we get into these forests and start doing the fitting and harvest and prescriptive burning, so that we can create healthier landscapes that are more resilient, for wildfire," Brown said. Brown signed legislation this past week that would arm the state with tools and resources to make communities "more adaptive" to wildfires. Fire whirls, 'pyro' clouds, and hazy skies: Extreme fire behavior is a preview of what's to come The legislation includes resources for adequate firefighting tools and prescriptive and mitigation efforts. Brown also recently signed the 100% clean energy bill, which she described as "the most aggressive clean energy bill in the country." Meanwhile, extreme fire behavior from the Bootleg Fire helped create a tornado last weekend, according to a post on the Bootleg Fire Info Facebook page Saturday. The July 18 tornado was confirmed with the Medford National Weather Service Forecast Office, the post said. 1.5 million acres scorched across US Crews are battling 86 large wildfires throughout the US , with six new large fires reported Saturday, the NIFC said. More than 22,000 firefighters and support personnel have been deployed to tackle the fires, which have collectively burned nearly 1.5 million acres, the agency said. Most of the fires are spread across Western states, where extreme drought conditions have been reported. Idaho is the state with the biggest number of large fires with 23. However, Oregon has the most acres burned with 541,336 from its seven large fires. A firefighter crew from New Mexico mops up small fires in the mountains west of Paisley, Oregon, on Friday, July 23, 2021. {"@context": "http://schema.org","@type": "ImageObject","name": "A firefighter crew from New Mexico mops up small fires in the mountains west of Paisley, Oregon, on Friday, July 23, 2021. ","description": "A firefighter crew from New Mexico mops up small fires in the mountains west of Paisley, Oregon, on Friday, July 23, 2021. ","url": "//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/210725014244-01-bootleg-fire-oregon-0723-large-169.jpg"} The climate crisis is making deadlier and more destructive wildfires the new normal, devastating homes, forcing thousands to evacuate and even destroying trees intended to offset carbon emissions . Hundreds more fires are burning in the Canadian province of British Columbia, where a state of emergency was declared July 20. One hundred firefighters from Mexico arrived in British Columbia Saturday to help combat the wildfires burning in the region, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General of British Columbia Mike Farnworth said during a news conference welcoming the crews. Over the next 30 days, Mexican firefighters will work alongside wildfire service crews and firefighters in British Columbia to battle the 275 forest fires burning in the area, Farnworth said. "The crews here from Mexico are top rate, incredibly skilled ... We cannot thank the Mexican government enough for assisting us," Farnworth added. Photos: Wildfires raging in the West This aerial photo, taken on Thursday, August 19, shows burned homes at the Creekside Mobile Home Park a day after they were destroyed by the Cache Fire in Clearlake, California. Hide Caption 1 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Firefighters dig a containment line on the Caldor Fire near Pollock Pines, California, on Wednesday, August 18. Hide Caption 2 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Smoke and haze from wildfires obscure the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco skyline on August 18. Hide Caption 3 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West In this long-exposure photo, embers light up hillsides as the Dixie Fire burns near Milford, California, on Tuesday, August 17. Hide Caption 4 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Destiney Barnard holds Raymond William Goetchius while stranded at a gas station in Doyle, California, on August 17. Barnard's car broke down as she was helping Raymond and his family flee the Dixie Fire. Hide Caption 5 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Destroyed property is seen August 17 after the Caldor Fire passed through Grizzly Flats, California. Hide Caption 6 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Firefighters spray water on trees being burned by the Dixie Fire near Janesville, California, on August 17. Hide Caption 7 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West A firefighting helicopter flies in front of the sun, which was shrouded in thick wildfire smoke near Lakeview, Oregon, on Sunday, August 15. Hide Caption 8 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Wind blows smoke away for a moment, revealing damage from the Parleys Canyon Fire in Utah on Saturday, August 14. Hide Caption 9 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Crews battle a fire in Newhall, California, on August 12. Hide Caption 10 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West A table and chairs sit in front of a destroyed home in Greenville, California, on August 12. Hide Caption 11 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West A firefighter battles the Dixie Fire near Taylorsville, California, on August 10. Hide Caption 12 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Smoke plumes rise from the Kwis Fire near Eugene, Oregon, on August 10. Hide Caption 13 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West A firefighter works to extinguish a controlled burn, a preventative measure, to protect a home in Greenville, California, on August 9. Hide Caption 14 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Firefighters battling the Dixie Fire clear a fallen tree from a roadway in Plumas County, California, on August 6. Hide Caption 15 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Flames from the Dixie Fire consume a pickup truck on Highway 89, south of Greenville, California, on August 5. Hide Caption 16 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Operations Chief Jay Walter passes the historic Sierra Lodge as the Dixie Fire burns through Greenville, California, on August 4. The fire leveled multiple historic buildings and dozens of homes in central Greenville. Hide Caption 17 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Firefighters work at a Greenville home that was engulfed by the Dixie Fire on August 4. Hide Caption 18 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West The Dixie Fire burns near Taylorsville, California, on July 29. Hide Caption 19 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West California Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, and Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak tour an area destroyed by the Tamarack Fire in Gardnerville, Nevada, on July 28. Hide Caption 20 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Firefighter Brentt Call walks through a burned-over area of the Bootleg Fire near Klamath Falls, Oregon, on July 27. Hide Caption 21 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Cal Fire Capts. Tristan Gale, left, and Derek Leong monitor a firing operation in California's Lassen National Forest on July 26. Crews had set a ground fire to stop the Dixie Fire from spreading. Hide Caption 22 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Firefighters try to reach a fire site in Quincy, California, on July 25. Hide Caption 23 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Volunteers sort clothing at a donation shelter for those affected by the Bootleg Fire in Bly, Oregon. Hide Caption 24 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Scott Griffin surveys his property, which was destroyed by the Bootleg Fire in Sycan Estates, Oregon. Hide Caption 25 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Flames consume a home as the Dixie Fire tears through the Indian Falls community of Plumas County, California, on July 24. Hide Caption 26 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West People stand behind the fire line as flames from the Steptoe Canyon Fire spread through dry grass in Colton, Washington, on July 22. Hide Caption 27 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Plumes of smoke from the Dixie Fire rise above California's Plumas National Forest, near the Pacific Gas and Electric Rock Creek Power House, on July 21. Hide Caption 28 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Firefighters walk near a wildfire in Topanga, California, on July 19. Hide Caption 29 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West A firefighter does mop-up work in the Fremont-Winema National Forest, which has been struggling with the Bootleg Fire in Oregon. Hide Caption 30 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West A car is charred by the Bootleg Fire along a mountain road near Bly, Oregon. Hide Caption 31 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Nicolas Bey, 11, hugs his father, Sayyid, near a donated trailer they are using after their home was burned in the Bootleg Fire near Beatty, Oregon. Hide Caption 32 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Firefighters extinguish hot spots in an area affected by the Bootleg Fire near Bly, Oregon. Hide Caption 33 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West A bear cub clings to a tree after being spotted by a safety officer at the Bootleg Fire in Oregon. Hide Caption 34 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Firefighters work to protect Markleeville, California, from the Tamarack Fire on July 17. The Tamarack Fire was started by a lightning strike. Hide Caption 35 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West The Tamarack Fire burns in Markleeville, near the California-Nevada border, on July 17. Hide Caption 36 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West A member of the Northwest Incident Management Team 12 holds a map of the Chuweah Creek Fire as wildfires devastated Nespelem, Washington, on July 16. Hide Caption 37 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West A cloud from the Bootleg Fire drifts into the air near Bly, Oregon, on July 16. Hide Caption 38 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Firefighters spray water from the Union Pacific Railroad's fire train while battling the Dixie Fire in California's Plumas National Forest on July 16. Hide Caption 39 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Horses climb a hillside that was burned by the Chuweah Creek Fire in eastern Washington. Hide Caption 40 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Fire from the Bootleg Fire illuminates smoke near Bly, Oregon, on the night of July 16. Hide Caption 41 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West A firefighter battles the Bootleg Fire in the Fremont-Winema National Forest, along the Oregon and California border, on July 15. Hide Caption 42 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West A firefighting aircraft drops flame retardant on the Bootleg Fire in Bly, Oregon, on July 15. Hide Caption 43 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Firefighters dig away at hot spots underneath stumps and brush after flames from the Snake River Complex Fire swept through the area south of Lewiston, Idaho, on July 15. Hide Caption 44 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Burned cars sit outside a home that was destroyed by the Chuweah Creek Fire in Nespelem, Washington. Hide Caption 45 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Evacuee Dee McCarley hugs her cat Bunny at a Red Cross center in Klamath Falls, Oregon, on July 14. Hide Caption 46 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West An airplane drops fire retardant on the Chuweah Creek Fire in Washington on July 14. Hide Caption 47 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Operations Section Chief Bert Thayer examines a map of the Bootleg Fire in Chiloquin, Oregon, on July 13. Hide Caption 48 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Fire consumes a home as the Sugar Fire, part of the Beckwourth Complex Fire, tears through Doyle, California, on July 10. It's the second time in less than a year that the small town has been ravaged by a wildfire. Hide Caption 49 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Men hug a member of the Red Cross at a Bootleg Fire evacuation center in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Hide Caption 50 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Embers blow across a field as the Sugar Fire burns in Doyle, California, on July 9. Hide Caption 51 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West Firefighters monitor the Sugar Fire in Doyle, California, on July 9. Hide Caption 52 of 53 Photos: Wildfires raging in the West In this long-exposure photograph, taken early on July 2, flames surround a drought-stricken Shasta Lake during the Salt Fire in Lakehead, California. Hide Caption 53 of 53 /* global CNN */'use strict';jQuery(document).ready(function () {var galleryAdSlide = new CNN.AdSlide('el__gallery', false, CNN.contentModel.singletonFile);}); Thousands evacuated as wildfires spread The rapid spread of the Bootleg Fire put more than 2,000 people in the surrounding area under some form of evacuation orders as the fire has grown to become Oregon's third-largest since 1900. "It's kind of a dubious honor," Oregon Department of Forestry spokesperson Marcus Kauffman said Thursday of the fire that was started July 6 by lighting. Before a wildfire grew into an out-of-control blaze, the Forest Service decided to let it burn Meanwhile, the Tamarack Fire along the California-Nevada border has destroyed more than 66,744 acres as of Saturday and at least 10 structures in those states. Additional evacuations were announced Friday, bringing the total to 2,439 evacuees, according to InciWeb . Nevada on Thursday received a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to fight the fire after requesting assistance earlier that day. "At the time of the request, the fire threatened approximately 800 homes in and around Holbrook Junction," FEMA said Friday in a news release. "The fire also threatened a water treatment plant, power distribution lines and substations, cellular communications towers, and U.S. Highway 395." Wildfires prompt additional emergency declarations In California, where nine large fires are currently active, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday declared a state of emergency in four northern California counties due to the hasty spread of flames. California's largest wildfire is threatening thousands of structures Butte and Lassen counties are under states of emergency prompted by the state's largest fire, the Dixie Fire, the governor said in a news release. The Dixie and Fly fires have pushed officials to put Plumas County under the emergency declaration as well as Alpine County due to the Tamarack Fire. The Tamarack Fire also prompted Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak to put Douglas County under an emergency declaration Friday. "Now, more than ever we must stand united and use all our available resources to combat this growing threat in order to help our fellow Nevadans receive the aid they need," Sisolak said in a news release. A state of emergency allows officials to access more funds and resources.