U.S.
The Wragg fire has thus far consumed over 6,000 acres
Three U.S. Forest Service firefighters died after their vehicle crashed as they battled a blaze and four others were injured, at least one critically, on Wednesday as raging wildfires advanced on towns in north-central Washington State, authorities said.
The vehicle was likely caught by flames after it crashed as the three fought a blaze near Twisp, the National Forest Service said, relaying information from Okanogan County Sheriff Frank Rogers.
The deaths happened in the scenic Methow River valley about 115 miles northeast of Seattle, but few details were released as officials notified family members.
“The firefighters were engaged in initial attack operations and were involved in a vehicle accident when it is believed that the fire overtook the vehicle,” according to the statement from Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.
It wasn't immediately clear if the four injured were also involved in the crash.
“It was a hell storm up here,” Rogers told KXLY-TV of Spokane. “The fire was racing and the winds were blowing in every direction and then it would shift. ... It was tough on `em up here.”
The Forest Service statement identified the four injured as two Department of Natural Resources employees, a DNR contractor, and one U.S. Forest Service worker.
One firefighter, a 25-year-old man from Puyallup, Washington, remained in critical condition Thursday with burns over 60 percent of his body, said Susan Gregg, spokeswoman for Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
"He's got a lot of family by the bedside, and I think that obviously helps and we're hopeful," she said.
The news of the deaths came after officials ordered about 1,300 people in the popular outdoor-recreation communities of Twisp and Wintrop to evacuate.
“My heart breaks over the loss of life,” Gov. Jay Inslee said in a written statement. “I know all Washington joins me and Trudi in sending our prayers to the families of these brave firefighters. They gave their lives to protect others. It was their calling, but the loss for their families is immense.”
Inslee requested a federal emergency declaration to provide more help to pay for fighting the many wildfires burning in Washington state.
Fires have blackened more than 1 million acres across the arid western United States, prompting fire managers to call in help from the U.S. Army and abroad to reinforce civilian crews.
A stream of cars poured south out of Twisp as dark clouds of smoke loomed. Some people put sprinklers on their roofs to protect their homes, and others joined lines for gasoline that were several cars deep.
Steve Morse, who lives near the Twisp fire, said he watched flames "kind of hopscotching these ridges, working toward our house."
Rick McCauley, a manager at Sun Mountain Lodge, which sits at the end of an 18-mile road winding through forests from the town of Winthrop, said he had about 70 rooms filled when he decided to evacuate.
"We looked at the fire coming over the hill and made the decision to clear everyone out," McCauley said Thursday. "There's only one road in and out, so we don't want to take any chances."
A larger group of fires burning to the east covered about 50 square miles and prompted the evacuation of the town of Conconully, home to about 200 people 20 miles northwest of Omak.
To the south, more than 1,100 firefighters tackled a fire that topped 108 square miles and threatened the resort town of Chelan. Angela Seydel, a spokeswoman for Okanogan Emergency Management, said 4,000 homes in the region had been evacuated.
"The fires have just exploded," she said Wednesday evening.
Authorities warned that more high winds Thursday could make conditions very challenging.
The National Weather Service warned about weather conditions that could fuel fires in eastern Washington through Friday. Temperatures were expected to climb above 90 degrees and relative humidity may drop as low as 14 percent.
Al Jazeera and wire services
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