Wildfires continue to keep residents from Washington homes

DRYDEN, Wash. — Hundreds of homes remained evacuated Monday because of a north central Washington fire, while to the north, a dramatic North Cascades rain, hail and lightning storm trapped 65 people and their vehicles between mudslides, closing the North Cascades Highway.

No one was injured in the Monday evening slides, Forest Service spokeswoman Cynthia Reichelt said, but about 40 motorists and 25 firefighters and their vehicles were trapped between the slides, which were three miles apart.

The storm dropped half-inch hail and an inch of rain within a half hour. On the plus side, the lightning-caused Mebee fire, which had burned 238 acres about a half mile north of the highway, “has burned itself out,” and firefighters were simply mopping up and monitoring it, Reichelt said.

More firefighters and state Transportation Department crews quickly arrived, she said, but there was no immediate time frame for when the slides — estimated at 300 feet wide and 4 feet deep, would be cleared.

Continued high temperatures and a new round of storms were forecast in the central Washington areas where crews were battling a half dozen wildfires.

About 275 homes remained evacuated Monday near Dryden after the Fischer fire jumped fire lines over the weekend and grew to 6,400 acres.

The evacuations were ordered Sunday by Chelan County sheriff’s deputies. A mandatory evacuation applied to 274 homes, while residents of an additional 181 homes were warned they might have to flee, said Carol Tocco, spokeswoman for the Northwest Coordination Center in Portland.

About 1,170 firefighters were assigned to the fire, which officials earlier had estimated at 30 percent containment.

The good news was a light northwest wind that was pushing the fire back on itself, aiding in the firefighting effort, Tocco said.

The forecast, however, called for temperatures as high as 100 degrees, low humidity and increasing winds with the threat of thunderstorms through today, said Robin DeMario, fire information officer.

The blaze was believed to be human-caused. It was burning on private, state and national forest land.

Elsewhere, firefighters continued to dump water on one fire burning in a complex of three fires near Lake Chelan. The Deep Harbor fire was estimated at 29,500 acres on Monday.

About 280 guests and staff at Holden Village, a Christian retreat nearby, remained evacuated. Sheriff’s deputies had warned residents at Holden and two nearby hamlets, Lucerne and Domke Lake, that the fire might advance northward toward the area.

Structural specialists were in the area to protect homes, said Scott Crawford, a fire information officer.

About 505 firefighters were assigned to the so-called Pot Peak-Sisi Ridge complex, which includes Deep Harbor. The fires have blackened a total of 46,970 acres and were 85 percent contained.

The Deep Harbor fire previously burned a dock and picnic shelter at a campground. On Sunday, Crawford said, embers burned another dock while firefighters were protecting a cabin. The dock was being rebuilt for firefighters’ use.

The lightning-caused Dirty Face fire near Lake Wenatchee was estimated at 171 acres Monday. The fire was burning in very steep terrain in a mix of heavy brush and timber. No structures had burned as of Monday, but some trails were closed.

About 80 firefighters were assigned to the lightning-caused Rattlesnake Peak fire, which has burned 650 acres about 40 miles west of Yakima.

Elsewhere

“At least 10 small lightning-caused fires are burning in remote regions of Crater Lake National park in Oregon, but fire crews are combating them with eco-friendly tactics.

Crews are trying to surround the fires with minimum disturbance to the forest while allowing some areas to burn naturally, fire officials said. Helicopters were expected Monday to help 100 firefighters manning the fires.

Although the park received nearly half an inch of rain during recent storms, smoldering spots were expected to flare up Monday, said Wayne Patterson, fire information officer for the U.S. Forest Service.

The largest blaze was believed to be between 35 and 45 acres, Patterson said.

The fires are several miles from roads, nature centers and campgrounds, and pose no threat to visitors, he said. But the Pacific Crest Trail, located in the park’s western reaches, was closed because of its proximity to the fires.