ENTIAT, Wash. (AP) – Several hundred firefighters worked Friday to contain a fire that has burned grass and brush across nearly 30 square miles in central Washington.
The blaze threatened more than 200 homes and damaged a few outbuildings in Chelan County near Entiat, roughly midway between Seattle and Spokane.
Residents of several dozen homes have been told to evacuate, fire operations spokeswoman Laurie Dowie said. The fire was partially contained by Friday afternoon. Also, a stretch of highway near the blaze was temporarily closed because of firefighting work in the area.
Worried that hot, dry conditions would increase fire dangers, state officials extended an outdoor burn ban to include all 13 million acres of lands that the state protects.
Meanwhile, firefighters aggressively attacked a California wildfire that was spreading fast after starting Friday afternoon in a remote part of the Sequoia National Forest.