JEFF BARNARD
Associated Press Writer
RUCH, Ore. (AP) -- Firefighters struggled to contain dozens of wildfires in California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington even as federal officials ratcheted up the warnings.
The National Interagency Fire Center went to Level Four status Monday for the first time this year after 37 new blazes burned across more than 300,000 acres. The preparedness level ranges from one to five.
Four separate fires raged through the night throughout Northern California, with one as large as 57,000 acres and another closing Interstate 80 in the Sierra Nevada for hours.
A 57,000-acre fire threatened 13 ranch homes east of Ravendale, Calif., near the Nevada border. The fire was 31 percent contained, said Jeff Fontana of the Susanville Interagency Fire Center.
``The past few days have been difficult,'' he said. ``It's rough terrain, tough to get around. It's very rocky and steep in some areas.''
Faced with hot weather and forests dried out by drought, firefighters warily tried to contain a 5,000-acre wildfire steadily marching through the rugged Siskiyou Mountains of southern Oregon. The blaze burned a remote house and cabin Sunday. Some $1 million a day has been spent fighting the fire.
About 10 miles to the west, a new fire broke out Monday night on a hillside within sight of the small town of Applegate. There was no immediate word on its size or what caused it.
``Mother Nature is controlling us on this fire,'' Oregon Department of Forestry incident commander Greg Gilpin told the 200 people who packed a hot school Monday night in Applegate, about 10 miles southwest of Medford. ``There is nothing I or my team can do with this portion until Mother Nature gives us a break.''
Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber declared a state of emergency to free up 200 members of the Oregon National Guard for fire duty after they finish a training course.
In Nevada, a blaze about 25 miles north of Battle Mountain had burned as much 82,000 acres.
For the third day in a row, lightning sparked new wildfires in eastern Washington, stretching the state's firefighting resources. The largest was the 400-acre Indian Dan Canyon Fire, burning in hilly sagebrush and timber five miles northwest of Brewster.
