Wildfire
Kyle Montgomery, a senior engineer with Drone Seed, wrote on Twitter about this photo he captured: “Stunning #pyrocumulus clouds above the #BootlegFire burning in Klamath County, Oregon, as seen from my flight this evening - just 7 hours after ignition.”
Wildfire is part of the natural lifecycle. However, the size of wildfires has grown in recent years. The 2021 Bootleg fire, which ignited near Beatty, is the state’s third-largest fire since 1900. In March 2023, the national Wildland Fire Leadership Council met in Klamath County. One often repeated comment stressed that firefighters can now see in one season the number of acres burn that a generation ago would take a professional a career to see.
In recent years, Klamath County has seen the Van Meter, Bootleg and 242 fires. Local residents have wondered where to turn for good information. The links below are credible sources for information.