Washington wildfire complex reaches 374 square miles but evacuations eased

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/aug/23/washington-wildfire-complex-okanogan-county

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Fire officials in Washington state said a complex of wildfires burning in north-central Washington had grown by Sunday to cover 374 square miles. Infrared mapping found the fires spread by about 19 square miles on Saturday evening.

Fire spokeswoman Suzanne Flory said there could be some explosive fire growth on Sunday if a cap of smoke lifted from Okanogan County, as had been forecast. When the smoke lifts on a wildfire, humidity drops, heat rises and fires can flare up. Flory said it was a similar effect to what happens when the flue is opened on a fireplace.

Flory said the good news was that less smoke meant restrictions on air travel would be lifted and more fire tankers would be able to fly over and drop water and chemical retardant.

Related: Wildfires hit Washington state – in pictures

Meanwhile, county officials downgraded some evacuation notices, allowing some people to return to their homes.

Sarah Miller, a spokeswoman with Okanogan County Emergency Management, said residents had been warned to stay ready to leave at any time and not to drive around looking at the fires. She said some people have been getting in the way of firefighting operations.

A new firefighting mobilization center was being set up at Fairchild Air Force Base near Spokane. The base will be the staging area for 20 large fire engines and 10 water takers and will be run by a team from San Diego, California.

The new firefighting resources came one day after the Obama administration approved Washington governor Jay Inslee’s request for a federal emergency declaration to help firefighting efforts in the eastern part of the state.

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

Sixteen large wildfires are burning across central and eastern Washington, covering more than 920 square miles. More than 200 homes have been destroyed and more than 12,000 homes and thousands of other structures remain threatened.