⁍ Wildfires have burned some 3.2 million acres (1.3 million hectares) in California since mid-August.

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⁍ Another 1.6 million acres (647,500 hectares) in Oregon and Washington state since Labor Day on Sept. 7.

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⁍ U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon described driving 600 miles (965 km) in his state to get a firsthand look at the devastation.

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– The death toll from the wildfires raging on the West Coast now stands at 25, with at least 34 people confirmed dead in California, Oregon, and Washington state, Reuters reports. In Oregon, eight people have been confirmed dead, and the toll is expected to rise. “That 600 miles, I never got out of the smoke. I remember fires in the past where I was driving and I would be in the smoke for 20 or 30 minutes—that’s a big fire. This is apocalyptic,” says Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley. “To see … these towns burnt to the ground, it looks like a World War II town hit by firebombing—thousands of homes destroyed, residences destroyed.” In California, meanwhile, the death toll is expected to rise as firefighters battle what the Los Angeles Times calls “the most destructive wildfire in the state’s modern history.” The blaze has burned through more than 3 million acres in both states, destroying thousands of homes and claiming at least 34 lives. More than 17,400 firefighters are battling 26 fires in California, and the situation is expected to get worse with warmer and drier weather forecast over the weekend. “We are anticipating a small amount of moisture coming in this weekend, but it’s not going to be enough to end the fire season. It’ll help with firefighting efforts, but we’re still anxious about the potential for new starts,” says a Bureau of Land Management spokesman.