By The Associated Press
TWISP, Okanogan County — The latest on wildfires in Washington state, including those that killed three firefighters:
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.
Okanogan County Sheriff Frank Rogers said Friday that “we have lost them, but I don’t know how many.”
The complex of fires that killed three firefighters earlier this week has blown up, growing more than 100 square miles in a day to 252 square miles.
A National Weather Service warning of extreme fire danger was set to expire at 5 p.m. Friday, which may bring some relief to firefighters.
Despite the growth, mandatory evacuations for the small towns of Twisp and Tonasket have been reduced. Residents of those towns can return to their homes but were warned to be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice.
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PRESIDENT OBAMA HAS has signed an emergency declaration authorizing federal help for the massive wildfires burning out of control in Washington state.
Obama on Friday declared an emergency and authorized the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief efforts.
The order covers 11 counties in central and eastern Washington as well as the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, the Kalispel Tribe of Indians, the Spokane Tribe of Indians, and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakima Nation.
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THE MASSIVE COMPLEX Of blazes that killed three firefighters in north-central Washington state has grown by more than 100 square miles in a day.
Fire spokesman Rick Isaacson said early Friday that the wildfires have grown to just over 252 square miles since Thursday morning. He says they are largely burning uncontrolled as flames keep jumping fire lines.
Isaacson says officials don’t know how many homes or other buildings have been destroyed. They have ordered the partial evacuation of the town of Okanogan, which has 2,500 residents. Isaacson says even the fire base camp in Okanogan has been told to be prepared to evacuate.
Those evacuations are on top of previous orders to evacuate the towns of Twisp, Winthrop and Tonasket.
The multitude of large wildfires have so overtaxed firefighters that officials took the unprecedented step of calling for volunteers to help fight the flames.
“Coordinators will review citizens’ offers for resources and direct them to where they can be most beneficial,” the state Department of Natural Resources said. Volunteers could start applying Friday at centers in the communities of Omak and Colville.
It is the first time the state has asked for volunteers as an explosive fire season. It comes even after fire managers from Australia and New Zealand were recruited to help combat blazes in the West.
There were 820 firefighters fighting the blazes Friday, two days after flames overran firefighters, killing three and injuring four.
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U.S. SEN MARIA Cantwell, D-Wash., is warning of the danger civilian hobby drones have on firefighting efforts.
Already in 2015, the U.S. Forest Service and Department of Interior have had to ground firefighting aircraft 13 times because of drone activity near wildfires.
Cantwell plans to hold a press conference on Friday in Spokane to discuss drone dangers and to call on federal agencies to work closely together to protect air crews and firefighters from interference from drones.
She says a drone colliding with a windshield, engine or flight controls of a firefighting aircraft could be catastrophic.
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WITH WILDFIRES STRAINING resources, Washington officials say that for the first time in state history they’re coordinating help from residents who have and can operate equipment like backhoes and bulldozers to dig fire lines.
The Department of Natural Resources says its command posts have been inundated with offers.
Public Lands Commissioner Peter Goldmark says his agency appreciates the support, but he wants the fire officers on scene to be able to stay focused on actually fighting fires.
Instead, the agency has set up coordination centers in Omak and Colville, where equipment operators can get training in how to deploy emergency shelters and other basics.
Some 80 equipment operators earned their certification at a training session in Colville earlier this month.
DNR says the centers will direct the citizens to where they can be useful without jeopardizing safety.
Deployment to a wildfire will depend on the availability of professional firefighting staff to escort and direct the volunteers.
The call for volunteers comes in addition to fire managers from Australia and New Zealand being recruited to help combat blazes in the West.
Contact information
Omak: Jay Guthrie
Omak City Hall, 2 Ash St. N
Phone 360-826-2546
email: CRC.Omak@gmail.com
AND
Colville: Julie Sacket
Washington State Department of Transportation
Second Floor, 440 N Hwy 395
Phone 509-675-7847
email: CRC.Colville@gmail.com
Each station will be staffed during posted hours with DNR coordinators who will sign up volunteers and contractors, determine where their assistance will be of most help, and arrange training in wildfire safety, where appropriate.
Phone messages and emails can be submitted and will be reviewed during hours the coordination centers are not staffed.
To expedite the processing service, potential volunteers should contact DNR coordinators at the above phone numbers or email addresses in advance with their desired role, existing fire qualifications, location, and contact information.
