The state of Washington, in the North-west of the United States, is battling its largest wildfire on record.<br /><br /> The flames have devoured more than 1,000 square kilometers of land so far, burning over 200 homes and now threatening thousands more.<br /><br /> Heavy smoke has grounded firefighting airplanes and helicopters, making it difficult to contain the flames.<br /><br /> At Okanogan county, near the Canadian border, Incident commander Todd Pechota said firefighters were gradually making progress against the fires.<br /><br /> “The only way to deal with them is like eating an elephant, one bite at a time. And there’s still a lot to eat,” Pechota said.<br /><br /> Three firefighters were killed and four injured last week while trying to contain the flames.<br /><br /> The weather is expected to remain hot and windy this week in the Pacific Northwest, heightening the risk of more blazes to come. <br /><br /> Dozens of wildfires are currently roaring across parts of the west of the United States, including in California, Oregon and Idaho.<br /><br /> Fire
