Three Firefighters Killed, Four Others Injured in Washington State Wildfire

The firefighters were fighting the fire and were involved in a vehicle accident when it is believed that the fire overtook the vehicle.

Will there be more evacuations?

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee released a statement about the deaths Wednesday night, saying “all Washington joins me and Trudi in sending our prayers to the families of these fearless firefighters”. “That’s a good way to honor the fallen firefighters”, said fire incident commander Chris Schulte.

“This is an unprecedented cataclysm in our state“, he said. By Thursday, 390,000 acres were burning across the state.

An air tanker drops red fire retardant on a wildfire near Twisp, Washington.

Speaking in Chelan, U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell told reporters his agency expects to exhaust its firefighting budget by early September but said necessary funds would continue to be made available where needed. “Where they were at was active fire”.

Twisp was ordered to evacuate as the nearby wildfire grew. More than 850 firefighters are battling the blazes, which are only partially contained.

“It’s a eerie post-apocalyptic sight”, Kerns said from Twisp. The changing winds and momentum of the fire left no other option.

By Thursday morning, the blast had grown from just 1,500 acres at midnight to 16,000 acres, with firefighters still struggling to contain the fire, according to local reports.

The Okanogan. Evacuation orders have gone out for the two towns of Twisp and Winthrop, which have a combined population of 1,300 residents. “Everything is being used right now, so competition for resources is fierce”.

The fire forced the utility to shut down the transmission lines that carry electricity.

“It is really bad out there”.

“The fires have just exploded”, she said Wednesday evening. “We’re just directing everybody to head south”. Firefighters were in place trying to protect structures, and most residents were running irrigatio…

The alert for the fire about 150 miles east of Portland was based on the danger to people and homes and the closure of a highway that is a major artery for the region and cuts through the fire perimeter, said Carol Connolly, spokeswoman for the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center.

The White House said president Barack Obama had been informed of the deaths.

At least 11 wildfires were burning as of Wednesday.

Among the many lethal threats to the men and women who battle wildfires in the West are shifting winds. “It’s not going out tonight”, Rogers said.

Firefighters brace for more high winds in the forecast through Friday that threaten to stoke wildfires burning across Eastern Washington.

“This fire had actually been burning for days, likely a lightning strike”, he said.

California is doing well in terms of resources, despite a pair of massive blazes in the north. Officials prepared for a drought-fueled fire season by bringing in several hundred more firefighters than in previous years.

A firefighter critically injured battling blazes in Washington state has burns over about 60 percent of his body.