Dry thunderstorms ignited dozens of wildfires across central and eastern Oregon, prompting state air quality advisories and evacuation orders while NASA satellites tracked smoke plumes and thermal anomalies.
- Lightning storms on July 15, 2026 ignited dozens of wildland fires in central and eastern Oregon.
- NASA's Aqua satellite captured extensive smoke plumes streaming northeast on July 26, 2026.
- More than 10,000 firefighters battled blazes that burned over 1 million acres in Oregon.
- U.S. wildfire burned area exceeded 4 million acres by late July 2026.