Heat dome scorched 725K acres of forest

Catch up quick: Over the course of three days in June, temperatures in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia spiked well above 110°F in many places across the region, with some locations seeing temperatures 45° above their average.

Threat level: Trees with scorched foliage might have reduced growth and increased vulnerability to pests or disease, according to forest scientists.

Zoom in: Using satellite imagery, the team found more than 725,000 acres of forest that had been scorched during the heat dome, with important native species like western hemlock, Sitka spruce and western red cedar particularly vulnerable.

• Extensive damage was documented in the Oregon coast range and Washington's Olympic Peninsula, home to large stands dominated by old-growth forest.

What they're saying: "To our knowledge, there are no examples of heat wave-induced foliar death at this scale in the historical record," Chris Still, a tree physiologist in OSU's College of Forestry, said in a statement.

• "This study provides the first spatially comprehensive estimate of forest canopy damage from the heat dome and provides land managers with important information in advance of future extreme heat waves."