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Wildfires Rage Across the American West (33 photos)

Dozens of forest and brush fires are currently burning across eight western states, forcing thousands to flee, destroying homes, and closing highways. Enormous volumes of smoke and ash are being thrown into the atmosphere as more than a million acres have burned in the past week alone, creating hazardous breathing conditions in many parts of the Pacific Northwest. In California, the La Tuna fire near Burbank has burned nearly 7,200 acres, becoming the largest fire ever recorded in Los Angeles, in terms of area.

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The Eagle Creek wildfire, burning in the Columbia River Gorge. This view is from Stevenson, Washington, across the Columbia River, and above Cascade Locks, Oregon, on September 4, 2017. A lengthy stretch of highway Interstate 84 remained closed on September 5, as crews battled the wildfire that has also caused evacuations and sparked blazes across the Columbia River in Washington state. (Tristan Fortsch / KATU-TV via AP)
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https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2017/09/wildfires-rage-across-the-american-west/538977/