Firefighters said Sunday that reduced winds helped them gain the upper hand against fires raging across the northwest United States but expressed fears that north-central Washington could soon see explosive fire growth. The wildfires, which have spread immensely in recent weeks, now cover about 920 square miles of Washington state and have already claimed the lives of three firefighters.
Washington, normally a wet state, has seen fires following an unprecedented drought in recent months. Fire spokeswoman Suzanne Flory said there were fears the fire could spread Sunday if, as forecasted, a cap of smoke lifts from Okanogan County. When smoke lifts, humidity drops and heat rises, allowing more fires to flare up, the Associated Press reported.
The fears come just one day after the federal government accepted state Gov. Jay Inslee’s request for a federal emergency declaration to help firefighters fight blazing flames in the state’s east.
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