Widespread wildfires prompt Army, National Guard to join the fight

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• GWEN IFILL:

  But, first, wildfires in the Northwest. New evacuation orders went out today affecting hundreds of homes.

  William Brangham reports on a fire season that's pushed the system to the breaking point.

• WILLIAM BRANGHAM:

  Since last week, smoke has poured into the skies outside Chelan, Washington, as more than 1,000 firefighters and volunteers struggle to gain control. The complex of fires has grown to more than 170 square miles, destroying more than 50 homes and leaving charred debris.

• WOMAN:

  We had a really big, big living room. I didn't take any family pictures or anything like that. I didn't think anything was going to happen.

• WILLIAM BRANGHAM:

  In all, well over 100 fires are burning in the states across the Northwest. More than 50 of those from Northern Washington down to Oregon and Idaho are larger than 100 acres.

  California also faces new outbreaks just days after containing the massive Rocky Fire north of San Francisco. All told, roughly a million acres of land has burned. The flames are being fueled by drought, low humidity and high temperatures that turn vegetation into dry tinder for lightning strikes. And the sheer number of fires has stretched budgets and personnel to the limit.

• MAN:

  Past 10 hours, we're up here. It's hot. I got new boots yesterday. We're breaking them in. Getting blisters on my heels.

• WILLIAM BRANGHAM:

  Yesterday, National Guard units arrived in Chelan with heavy equipment, including helicopters. And for the first time since 2006, 200 active-duty Army troops are being called out. They will deploy to a separate fire in Northern Washington. For now, there's no end in sight, with immediate forecasts calling for more heat.