Richard “Bo” Bolton, a timber feller from Burney, Calif., cuts down trees burned in the Reading Fire along Highway 89 in Lassen National Park on Friday, Aug. 17, 2012. The National Park Service is felling trees that burned in the fire to prepare the road for possible reopening this weekend.SEATTLE – Thunderstorms and lightning threatened fire officials’ plans to contain a large blaze in central Washington state as hundreds of Washington and California residents returned home to find out whether their homes were spared.
In Idaho, some people were told to evacuate as encroaching blazes neared Idaho towns. The towns of Pine and Featherville remained in the path of a 130-square-mile wildfire that has been burning for two weeks. Authorities had been asking residents to prepare to leave.
“It’s a very active, very dangerous fire,” said fire information officer Steve Till. Crews “were prepared for it but civilians are probably much better not being here.”
The fire burning through timber grew 15 square miles overnight and within 24 hours is predicted to reach the community of Featherville, where fire crews have set up to protect about 366 residential buildings. High temperatures combined with low humidity and difficult terrain are making it harder for the 1,082 firefighters assigned to the blaze.
Fire spokeswoman Lisa Machnik said Saturday that three firefighters suffered ankle and knee injuries because of the rough terrain.