Wash. wildfire could become more erratic

The massive cloud of smoke began to lift over Washington wildfires on Sunday.

The majority of the thick smoke blanketing many areas of southern B.C., is drifting northward from large wildfires in the United States.

With the smoke now affecting probably the most populated areas of the state, well being officers are warning individuals to be take precautions. “People are encouraged to remain indoors to avoid breathing smoky air, which can cause coughing, chest pain and shortness of breath in healthy people”, the announcement said.

Reduced winds on Saturday helped firefighters gain the upper hand against a series of giant wildfires in north-central Washington that earlier left three firefighters dead.

Spokeswoman Suzanne Flory says visibility has improved and so has air quality, but so far fire activity has not heated up.

In addition to activating the National Guard to fight fires in both states, a reciprocity agreement with Australian fire officials will bring qualified fire line supervisors from down under to the Pacific Northwest in the next several days, Eagle said.

Twelve uncontained fires in Washington covered more than 600,000 acres Sunday, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

Washington, normally a wet state, has seen fires following an unprecedented drought in recent months.

“His ideas are with the opposite injured firefighters and people who died”, Gregg stated.

Apart from the casualties, four firefighters were reportedly injured after being overtaken by the flames while battling against the wildfire in Okanogan Complex.

The wildfire had burned across 65 square miles and was just 3 percent contained as it was bearing down on the popular recreation spot Hume Lake in the national park, officials said.

Fire District 6 worked with other agencies to prepare fire lines on Wednesday night for a burnout to protect the town of Twisp, said Waller.

About 40 miles (64 km) to the south, in the area of a resort town at the base of Lake Chelan, another fire cluster has charred 86,400 acres (34,965 hectares), growing by about 1,000 acres from Saturday. Infrared mapping found the fires spread by about 19 square miles on Saturday evening.

Once the smoke lifts, humidity drops, heat rises and fires flare up. Flory says it’s similar to what happens when the flue is opened on a fireplace.

Sarah Miller, a spokeswoman with Okanogan County Emergency Management, told the AP that residents have been warned to be ready to evacuate at any time.

“Our firefighting professionals are very experienced with volatile wildfires and are providing invaluable support to firefighters who have been working tirelessly for weeks”, State Firewarden Bill Edwards said in the release.

Consequently, sustained action crews and equipment are set to arrive in Washington tonight and they will help in suppressing the northern flanks of this wildfire tomorrow. The new center will be a staging area for 20 large fire engines and 10 water tankers.

Officials said a new mobilization center is being formed at Fairchild Air Force Base outside Spokane to assist with the efforts in eastern Washington, after President Barack Obama’s declaration on Friday of a federal emergency.

The new fire engines are coming from Utah, Nevada, Arizona and Colorado, Inslee’s office said.