Winds, heat are helping Northwest fires grow
Washington
Wind and high temperatures have spurred two wildfires to grow dramatically in size in north-central Washington.
Together, the Tripod and Tinpan fires have burned an estimated 10 square miles, or more than 6,000 acres.
The Tripod fire, about six miles northeast of Winthrop, exploded from 500 to 3,500 acres thanks to heavy fuel, steep terrain and hot, dry weather. No buildings were threatened by the blaze Wednesday, but fire officials said there was potential for the fire to grow even larger.
About 200 firefighters were assigned to the fire, which was not contained. They were working Wednesday to build a fire line on the west flank of the fire, as well as to the northeast.
Extreme fire conditions were preventing firefighters from fighting the blaze directly.
About 40 miles northwest of Entiat, the Tinpan fire doubled in size to nearly 2,800 acres. The fire was burning in the headwaters of the Entiat River within the Glacier Peak Wilderness.
Crews were allowing the fire to burn in some areas to better manage the forest. Helicopters were dropping water in some areas, and monitors were observing fire activity.
Lightning sparked both blazes. No injuries were reported on either fire.
Several trails and roads in the fire areas have been closed, so visitors have been asked to check with local ranger districts before planning a trip into the Okanogan and Wenatchee national forests.
Oregon
Lightning-sparked fires grew across Central and Eastern Oregon on Wednesday.
The fire that most threatened homes was in rangeland at the southern edge of the Wallowa Mountains, about six miles southeast of Halfway. Firefighters said Wednesday that 20 structures were at risk.
Gusty winds Tuesday pushed two fires together to form the Foster Gulch fire there on about 10,000 acres, or 15 square miles. Firefighters said weather could intensify the fire Wednesday.
In the Three Sisters Wilderness area northwest of Bend, the lightning-caused Black Crater fire forced the closure of Oregon 242, the Old McKenzie Pass Highway, on Tuesday, and it remained closed on Wednesday morning, according to the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center. Firefighters said dead standing timber and a heavy fuel load gave the 150-acre fire a boost.
The largest blaze was in rangeland east of Steens Mountain. The Happy Valley fire grew to 60,000 acres, or 94 square miles. Firefighters said they were trying to protect features in a wilderness study area and six threatened structures, and they didn’t expect containment until the end of the week.
Other major fires the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center and other officials reported:
•The Blackrock fire of about 350 acres, which threatened four homes about 20 miles northeast of Burns.
•The Maxwell fire, part of which was burning in the Bridge Creek Wilderness south of Mitchell in Wheeler County. It was less than a mile square, burning dry timber in steep terrain in the Ochoco National Forest.
•The 40-acre Elk Lake fire, which closed part of the Cascade Lakes Highway near Elk Lake Resort just west of Mount Bachelor.