⁍ A California firefighter was reported dead on Friday as a front of humid and rainy weather aided the efforts of weary emergency crews.

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⁍ The firefighter died on Thursday while battling the El Dorado wildfire in California’s San Bernardino National Forest.

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⁍ The El Dorado fire, which officials have said was started by pyrotechnics at a gender reveal party, has burned nearly 20,000 acres since the beginning of the month.

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– A firefighter died yesterday while battling a massive wildfire in California’s San Bernardino National Forest, Reuters reports. “Our deepest sympathies are with the family, friends, and fellow firefighters during this time,” the US Forest Service said in a statement, adding that the cause of the death was under investigation. The firefighter was battling the El Dorado wildfire, which officials say was started by pyrotechnics at a gender reveal party, according to the Los Angeles Times. At least 35 people have been killed in the wildfires that have raged in California, Oregon, and Washington state since mid-August. Cooler, more favorable weather in the region has already dispelled some of the smoky, polluted air and tempered the flames, enabling ground teams with hand tools and bulldozers to regroup and consolidate their gains while also allowing greater use of water-dropping helicopters and airplane tankers. The region still faces a formidable recovery from the fires, which have burned some 3.2 million acres in California since mid-August and another 1.7 million acres in Oregon and Washington state since Labor Day. Several small towns have largely been incinerated, with thousands of dwellings destroyed and at least 35 lives lost—26 in California, including the firefighter—eight in Oregon, and one in Washington state. Thousands of evacuees remained huddled in emergency shelters, mobile trailers, and hotel rooms. The situation was particularly dire in Oregon, a state unaccustomed to wildfires of such magnitude and lacking sufficient resources to deal with them. CalFire said more than 17,400 firefighters were deployed against 26 fires in California.