Thousands of evacuees displaced by deadly wildfires across Oregon settled into a second week of life in shelters and car camping as fire crews battled on against the blazes and search teams scoured the ruins of demolished communities for those still missing.

With state resources stretched to their limit, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has requested a federal disaster declaration from the White House to bolster U.S. government assistance for emergency response and relief efforts.

Dozens of fires have charred some 4.5 million acres (1.8 million hectares) of tinder-dry brush, grass and woodlands in Oregon, California and Washington state since August, ravaging several small towns, destroying thousands of homes and killing at least 34 people.