Storms spark new blazes in state
DRYDEN, Wash. – Firefighters across central Washington were left scrambling Tuesday after lightning storms swept through the region, igniting 18 fires in the Okanogan and Wenatchee national forests alone.
Despite the new fire starts, the Fischer fire 20 miles northwest of Wenatchee continued to garner the most resources. About 1,200 firefighters were assigned to the blaze, which had charred about 7,200 acres on private, state and national forest land.
More than 325 homes were evacuated, and residents of an additional 234 homes were on notice they might have to leave if the fire grows, said Penny Hulse, fire information officer.
The fire crossed a road Tuesday morning near Ollala Canyon, one of the evacuated areas, but firefighters had been successful in protecting homes by Tuesday afternoon, Hulse said.
No structures had burned, and no injuries were reported.
Firefighters struggled to maintain control of several fires after thunderstorms swept through the region late Monday and early Tuesday, bringing high winds and lightning.
The thunderstorms brought heavy rain to some areas, resulting in three mudslides that temporarily trapped 65 people and their vehicles on the North Cascades Highway, northwest of Rainy Pass.
No one was injured in the slides. The stranded included 40 motorists, 25 firefighters and their vehicles. Crews were able to open a single lane to traffic so those individuals could drive out early Tuesday morning, said Jeff Adamson, spokesman for the state Transportation Department.
“Some of them decided they were still on vacation and it wasn’t raining, so they decided to stay and continue camping,” Adamson said.
Additional slides were reported on a U.S. Forest Service road leading to Harts Pass, about 10 miles north of Rainy Pass on the North Cascades Highway, and on the Chewuch Road near Andrews Creek.
Forest Service personnel were working to notify several hikers and campers whose vehicles were stranded behind the Harts Pass slide, said spokeswoman Robin DeMario.
Continued high temperatures and the possibility of more storms were forecast in central Washington.
Thirteen new fires were reported in the Methow Valley Ranger District following the thunderstorms a day earlier.
Most were small and none was endangering structures.