Crews gain ground on Cle Elum fire as residents return
CLE ELUM, Wash. - Better weather conditions over the weekend have helped firefighters gain ground on fire that has scorched dozens of homes east of the Cascades.
Fire official Jessica Payne said Sunday that lightning strikes hadn't materialized as previously feared, allowing firefighters to make progress against the fire burning between Cle Elum and Ellensburg.
As of Sunday morning, the fire was 43 percent contained, and Payne says fire officials expect the wildfire to be contained on Monday - if the weather remains favorable.
But the unknown variable in the equation is whether the winds will pick up - and Mick Mueller of the U.S. Forest Service said the potential is there for erratic winds in the hours and days ahead.
The Taylor Bridge Fire broke out last Monday at a bridge construction project and has burned across more than 23,000 acres of grass, sagebrush and timber in rural areas about 75 miles east of Seattle.
Many evacuated residents began returning to the area over the weekend - and some were heartbroken at what they found.
The Barnharts found that their home was the only one burned in the Sunlight Waters community. The finicky wildfire skipped right over their neighbors to the right and the left - and instead entirely consumed their retirement home.
"It's like a death in the family," says Lorna Barnhart. "This was our home, to a lot of friends, and it's gone."
The home was insured, so they can rebuild. But they can salvage none of their belongings.
"We'll just have to start all over again with our stuff," says Lorna.
Meanwhile, resident Barbara Maggs stared disbelievingly at her favorite equestrian trails, that were destroyed in the blaze.
"It's a beautiful, beautiful place, and most of its gone," she says. "It's just heartbreaking."
Fire official Jessica Payne said Sunday that lightning strikes hadn't materialized as previously feared, allowing firefighters to make progress against the fire burning between Cle Elum and Ellensburg.
As of Sunday morning, the fire was 43 percent contained, and Payne says fire officials expect the wildfire to be contained on Monday - if the weather remains favorable.
But the unknown variable in the equation is whether the winds will pick up - and Mick Mueller of the U.S. Forest Service said the potential is there for erratic winds in the hours and days ahead.
The Taylor Bridge Fire broke out last Monday at a bridge construction project and has burned across more than 23,000 acres of grass, sagebrush and timber in rural areas about 75 miles east of Seattle.
Many evacuated residents began returning to the area over the weekend - and some were heartbroken at what they found.
The Barnharts found that their home was the only one burned in the Sunlight Waters community. The finicky wildfire skipped right over their neighbors to the right and the left - and instead entirely consumed their retirement home.
"It's like a death in the family," says Lorna Barnhart. "This was our home, to a lot of friends, and it's gone."
The home was insured, so they can rebuild. But they can salvage none of their belongings.
"We'll just have to start all over again with our stuff," says Lorna.
Meanwhile, resident Barbara Maggs stared disbelievingly at her favorite equestrian trails, that were destroyed in the blaze.
"It's a beautiful, beautiful place, and most of its gone," she says. "It's just heartbreaking."
I just finished my 3rd day of working in the Cle Elum fire area. I have some words for the lookie-loo's - GO HOME! This is not a tourist attraction. This is not a photo op. This is real life. Your driving around is clogging the roads & impeding those who are there to help those who have lost everything. If you want to be in the area, volunteer with the Red Cross.