40 homes destroyed by Okanogan Complex Fire

All volunteers, Lt. Mike McAneny serves as engine boss for Sequim’s Engine 38 with fellow firefighters Becca Yucha, Danielle Hebert and Dave Walker of Port Ludlow Fire & Rescue.

“We’ve had pretty stable conditions for the past three days, with no lightning strikes, and that’s helped firefighters, especially on the fires burning in northeast Washington, ” said Tom Knappenberger, a spokesman for the Northwest Coordination Center in Portland.

Authorities said they are anticipating moisture later on in the week and said it was welcome news.

The deaths of three firefighters in Washington State are a reminder of how much these fearless people are putting on the line, on both sides of the border.

Officials gave updates Wednesday on the containment level and the amount of structures damaged for the Okanogan Complex Fire.

The National Weather Service issued a red-flag warning for the largest wildfire, the Okanogan Complex, saying rising temperatures, falling humidity and increasing winds had the potential to spread the flames on Thursday afternoon.

While home destruction is a major concern, a UI professor says the extreme heat of some fires can also reduce soil’s ability to absorb water, which can lead to flooding and mudslides. They worked to protect about a half-dozen homes. He said there were about 1,000 Guard troops helping firefighting efforts, including 200 on the fire lines.

About 70 fire managers from Australia and New Zealand have arrived in Boise and are scheduled to receive protective gear Monday before heading out to fight fires burning in the West. It’s the most area destroyed by this date in a decade.

The Chelan fire crept in size to 146,375 acres, breaking containment.

Firefighter Bryan Swanberg, with Incident Management Team 4, serves as a medical unit leader at the Grizzly Bear Complex fire, 20 miles southeast of Dayton.

“(The fire) is doing what we like it to do”, Isaacson said.

In the southwest piece of the state, a monster rangeland fire that devoured right around 450 square miles of grasses expected to nourish steers and essential sage grouse natural surroundings is 95 percent contained.

Quilcene Fire & Rescue sent a crew and engine to the Okanogan Complex fires on Tuesday and the Forks Fire Department is gearing up to send an engine as well.

A “slow-motion disaster” is devouring Washington state.