The U.S. saw both vigorous wildfires and high heat warnings Monday, as extreme summer weather has the potential to reach from one side of the country to the other.
The Cram Fire in central Oregon grew past 95,000 acres on Monday, when responding fire crews had it 73% contained as of the evening.
Strong winds, scorching temperatures and low humidity created the perfect storm for the blaze to explode in size near Willowdale in a rural region of the state.
But officials said favorable weather in the forecast will help to get the wildfire completely under control.
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Meanwhile, forecasters say much of the United States could see well-above-average temperatures through this week, particularly in the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys.
NOAA says a period of "dangerous, oppressive heat" will settle over the Central Plains, Mississippi Valley, and Southeast through Thursday, bringing the potential to set record high temperatures.
As of Monday evening, the National Weather Service has issued:
- Extreme Heat Warnings for parts of the Central Plains and lower to mid-Mississippi Valley
- Extreme Heat Watches across the Midwest
- Heat Advisories from South Dakota through much of the Southern Plains, Deep South, Southeast, and all of Florida
The summer has already been hot for much of the U.S. Last month ranked as the seventh warmest June in the 131-year record. It also marked the third-warmest June on record for the contiguous U.S.
