(CNN) — The American West is battling a persistent wildfire season, with the Pacific Northwest bearing the brunt as dozens of massive blazes rage in Oregon and Washington, forcing residents from their homes and shutting down major roadways.
More than 27,400 firefighters were battling about 100 uncontained large fires nationwide on Tuesday, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Four new large blazes erupted on Monday alone, adding to the strain.
This year’s fire season is shaping up to be quite destructive. Oregon and Washington have been hit by their worst fire season in more than 30 years, with flames burning more than 2.6 million acres as of Tuesday.
Wildfires have scorched at least 5.3 million acres across the country so far this year — already surpassing last year’s total for the entire year.
With nearly half of the nation’s active large fires concentrated in Oregon and Washington, CNN is tracking the latest in maps, charts and satellite imagery.
Three fires in Spokane County have consumed more than 8,000 acres with 0% containment since they started Saturday.
The fires in the Pacific Northwest have blanketed the region with smoke, pushing the air quality index to unhealthy levels across Washington, especially for residents who are sensitive to particulate pollution.
At least 24 cities in the region had air quality readings in the very unhealthy or unhealthy range as of Tuesday morning, according to AirNow.gov.
This map shows how the smoke is expected to spread over the next day:
Aerial images captured by Nearmap show the Old Trails Fire sweeping through neighborhoods in Spokane County on Saturday afternoon. Captured around seven hours after the fire began, they show hundreds of burned homes and firefighters trying to halt the spread of the blaze.
Officials have said more than 700 buildings were destroyed. The photos, which were taken during the blaze, do not capture the full scale of the destruction. Additional photos from June show the neighborhoods before the fire rushed through them.
Through heavy plumes of smoke, the fire can be seen spreading from house to house, leaving entire blocks burning. In spite of the blaze, green leaves can still be seen on many of the trees. The ground below them, where the fire quickly spread through grass and small vegetation, is charred black.
In some areas, bright red lines of fire retardant, dropped from planes, separate burned homes from homes that survived the fire. Elsewhere, fire can be seen jumping the lines, carried by high winds.
Amid the blaze, firefighters can be seen working to try to protect remaining homes. In a photo of West Pine Cliff Court, burned homes surround one still standing, as a firefighter sprays down the walls and roof facing the engulfed house next door.
The-CNN-Wire
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