Forest Service Identifies 3 Firefighters Killed in Washington Blaze

A procession of three ambulances and other emergency vehicles travels toward Twisp, Wash., Thursday, August 20, 2015, along Twisp River Road, the day after three firefighters were killed nearby while fighting a wildfire.

“But I know that’s what he would want”, Jennifer added. “There are 390,000 acres burning, last year was bad with 250,000 acres”. Development close to forests has also increased the threat to property, with more than 46 million homes in the U.S., or about 40 percent of the nation’s housing, potentially at risk from wildfire, he said. At least 110 buildings have burned down, CNN affiliate KIRO reported.

The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for the eastern portion of the state through 5 p.m. Friday.

The news of the deaths came after officials on Wednesday ordered about 1,300 people in the popular outdoor-recreation communities of Twisp and Winthrop to evacuate.

The county is where the three firefighters died.

“We looked at the fire coming over the hill and made the decision to clear everyone out”, McCauley said Thursday.

Three firefighters have died after their vehicle crashed and became engulfed by flames from a raging wildfire in Washington state.

Officials know who the firefighters are who were killed and they have talked with their command staff. The plan now is to notify their families.

“They always took safety to heart”. He says the state was grieving three firefighters killed Wednesday near Twisp, words echoed by Washington’s U.S. senators and fire managers.

“On behalf of a grateful nation, the president’s thoughts and prayers are with the families of these courageous Americans”, said White House spokesman Eric Schultz. He is also a reserve police officer in Milton, near Tacoma.

Lyon’s mother, Barbara, told a news conference at the hospital that her son loves the camaraderie of police officers and firefighters. “He’s just been a great, great, wonderful child”.

About 100 miles to the southwest, crews dogged by persistent winds protected 339 homes threatened by a wildfire near Santa Margarita, a rural town north of San Luis Obispo in the Santa Lucia Mountain foothills. “It’s not going out tonight”, Rogers said. “Right now the only blessing is that the wind isn’t blowing”.

The flames had not reached Twisp, but they were headed in that direction, Rogers said.

All evacuation orders have now been lifted for hundreds of people forced out by the fire, but evacuation alerts are still in effect and residents have been warned they may have to leave on short notice.

“It just kind of exploded and they got caught in a burn over”, said Queen, referring to what happens when conditions change so rapidly that flames overtake firefighters. “The sheer amount of physical labor is pretty intense”. “Thank a firefighter no matter where they are and what agency they work for”.

FEMA has approved funding for supporting firefighter efforts across the state after Inslee declared an emergency in Washington.