LYONS, Ore. (KOIN) — A boy and his grandma died in a wildfire burning in a small town about 50 miles south of Portland, according to KOIN-TV.
A family member told reporters the 12-year-old boy was found dead in the town of Lyons. Volunteers had been searching for him since he ran from his home as the Santiam Canyon wildfire approached on Tuesday afternoon.
The family member said his grandmother was also killed in the fire. The boy’s mom was in critical condition at a hospital, according to the family member.
The identities of the deceased boy and grandmother have not been released. No other details are available at this time.
Windblown wildfires raging across the Pacific Northwest have destroyed hundreds of homes in Oregon, the governor said Wednesday, warning: “This could be the greatest loss of human life and property due to wildfire in our state’s history.”
Firefighters struggled to contain and douse the blazes fanned by 50 mph wind gusts and officials in some western Oregon communities gave residents “go now” orders to evacuate.
The destructive blazes were burning in a large swath of Washington state and Oregon that rarely experiences such intense fire activity because of the Pacific Northwest’s cool and wet climate.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
