At least seven people killed in three states as winds fuel wildfires across US west

More than 85 significant fires are burning across the west, where a record 2.5m acres have been destroyed

Large, fast-moving fires raged on across the American west on Thursday, destroying hundreds of homes in the Pacific north-west and sending a dense plume of smoke that turned skies amber across parts of the region.

Related: California, Oregon and Washington battle dozens of fires - live updates