Raging Washington wildfires grow by 100 square miles
Source: AP
By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS and BRIAN SKOLOFF
TWISP, Wash. (AP) — Reduced winds on Saturday helped firefighters gain the upper hand against a series of giant wildfires in north-central Washington that earlier left three firefighters dead.
The Okanogan Complex of wildfires was measured at 355 square miles on Saturday, about 100 miles larger than Friday, fire spokesman Rick Isaacson said.
But the flames were moving away from population centers in Okanogan County, which by land area is the largest in Washington state.
Thousands of people in the county remained under evacuation orders of various levels after strong winds drove flames across parched ground earlier this week.
FULL story at link. Video: http://launch.newsinc.com/share.html?trackingGroup=92351&siteSection=bigstory_hom_non_non_dynamic_wire_ap&videoId=29588231
A firefighter looks over a controlled fire being used to burn out an area between a house and the main fire Saturday, Aug. 22, 2015, in Okanogan, Wash. Out-of-control blazes in north-central Washington have destroyed buildings, but the situation is so chaotic that authorities have "no idea" how many homes may have been lost. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/e6af8a74209f424d9484fdcf7feaae8e/raging-washington-wildfires-grow-100-square-miles
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Air quality has just been declared unhealthy, and people are advised to stay indoors.
Sunlight has been a weird orange-red-yellowish color all day. Air looks spooky. Yuck!
Tunk Mtn fires are burning. One of my boys, and other family, still live in the area, but none have not had to evacuate so far.
around 3 pm...it got worse, some streetlights came on early...the air stinks of burning, the light is orange.
It's a little better now but maybe it will get worse...September is prime fire season, it's usually dry and the winds pick up.
Lived here since 1969, this is the worst I've seen it.
