Wildfires Tear Through Thousands of Acres in Washington State
The fires follow gusty winds and days of record heat.
— -- Firefighting crews in Washington State are battling numerous fast-moving wildfires, including two in the Spokane area that forced evacuations from more than 200 homes.
Spokane-area crews joined forces to fight two fires, dubbed the Yale Road Fire and Wellesley Fire, which have scorched 3,500 and about 250 acres respectively, according to the Washington Department of Natural Resources.
The blazes quickly spread late Sunday after gusty winds followed days of record heat in the Pacific Northwest.
The Yale Road Fire, which started when a tree fell onto power line, prompted evacuations of about 150 homes and burned about one dozen structures near Spangle, a town about 18 miles south of Spokane officials said.
While firefighters believed the Wellesley Fire was under control today, winds are expected to pick up with the Yale Road Fire this afternoon, officials said.
Meanwhile, another blaze, dubbed the Hart Fire, which started in Lincoln County just west of Spokane, has covered over 6,000 acres and is expected to grow today due to weather and terrain, officials said.
The Hart Fire blaze, fueled by timber and grass, has destroyed six homes and forced evacuations from 60 homes.