Wildfire fighters advance against biggest US blaze amid dire warnings

Oregon's Bootleg fire 84% contained but parched conditions raise risk of new ignitions

Firefighters made progress battling some of the largest fires burning across the west, but dangers of flare-ups and new ignitions remain amid hot, dry conditions that will bake the parched landscape.

Nine large fires have collectively burned more than 1.8m acres in 12 states, the National Interagency Fire Center reported on Monday morning, including 23 in Montana, some of which have displayed extreme fire behavior.