Firefigthters continue battle against E. Washington wildfires
WENATCHEE, Wash. (AP) - The Washington National Guard deployed two helicopters equipped with water buckets Friday to help crews battling wildfires near Wenatchee.
The choppers deployed a day after Gov. Chris Gregoire signed an emergency declaration for all the state's counties east of the Cascade Mountains.
On Friday, the governor ordered an immediate ban on all outdoor and agricultural burning in Eastern Washington.
With more warm, dry weather expected "the potential for additional fire activity remains incredibly high," she said, noting fire crews are "already pushed to the limits."
The ban that includes campfires, bonfires, yard clean-up and land clearing will last through Tuesday.
Seven large complexes of fires have burned across more than 230 square miles of parched land east of the Cascades, where some areas have gone without any measurable rain for weeks. More than 3,000 firefighters across the region dug lines and burned dry grass and brush in the path of the fires.
One of the largest fires - the Wenatchee River Complex - was 10 percent contained, but crews there said they had success on Thursday. On Friday, crews with air support worked to cool down hot spots.
The two helicopters are a CH-47 Chinook helicopter with a 2,000-gallon water bucket and five-person crew, and a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter with a 660-gallon water bucket and four crew members, the National Guard said.
The pilots and crew are members of the Washington Army National Guard's 66th Theater Aviation Command, which also aided last month in the Taylor Bridge fire by dumping 632,000 gallons of water.
Heavy smoke continued to cover much of the region on Friday, eroding air quality but serving a positive sign of low winds and fires that weren't quite so active.
Cooling temperatures were forecast to move into the region over the weekend. But there is no sign of rain in the forecast. Firefighters hoped to take advantage of the favorable conditions before the weather shifts again.
On Friday, authorities lowered the evacuation warnings to the lowest level for nearly 160 homes in the Wenatchee area, said spokesman John Kruse.
About 10 miles from the Grand Coulee Dam, two fires grew to a combined 91,883 acres, or 143 square miles. That complex was 79 percent contained late Friday.
Fire officials in charge of another fire that has blackened more than 23,000 acres, or 36 square miles, about 17 miles southwest of Creston promised full containment by day's end Friday and said they planned no more updates. That fire burned about 50 miles west of Spokane.
The choppers deployed a day after Gov. Chris Gregoire signed an emergency declaration for all the state's counties east of the Cascade Mountains.
On Friday, the governor ordered an immediate ban on all outdoor and agricultural burning in Eastern Washington.
With more warm, dry weather expected "the potential for additional fire activity remains incredibly high," she said, noting fire crews are "already pushed to the limits."
The ban that includes campfires, bonfires, yard clean-up and land clearing will last through Tuesday.
Seven large complexes of fires have burned across more than 230 square miles of parched land east of the Cascades, where some areas have gone without any measurable rain for weeks. More than 3,000 firefighters across the region dug lines and burned dry grass and brush in the path of the fires.
One of the largest fires - the Wenatchee River Complex - was 10 percent contained, but crews there said they had success on Thursday. On Friday, crews with air support worked to cool down hot spots.
The two helicopters are a CH-47 Chinook helicopter with a 2,000-gallon water bucket and five-person crew, and a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter with a 660-gallon water bucket and four crew members, the National Guard said.
The pilots and crew are members of the Washington Army National Guard's 66th Theater Aviation Command, which also aided last month in the Taylor Bridge fire by dumping 632,000 gallons of water.
Heavy smoke continued to cover much of the region on Friday, eroding air quality but serving a positive sign of low winds and fires that weren't quite so active.
Cooling temperatures were forecast to move into the region over the weekend. But there is no sign of rain in the forecast. Firefighters hoped to take advantage of the favorable conditions before the weather shifts again.
On Friday, authorities lowered the evacuation warnings to the lowest level for nearly 160 homes in the Wenatchee area, said spokesman John Kruse.
About 10 miles from the Grand Coulee Dam, two fires grew to a combined 91,883 acres, or 143 square miles. That complex was 79 percent contained late Friday.
Fire officials in charge of another fire that has blackened more than 23,000 acres, or 36 square miles, about 17 miles southwest of Creston promised full containment by day's end Friday and said they planned no more updates. That fire burned about 50 miles west of Spokane.
I remember when we were fighting fires with real effort numbers. How pathetic and weak we've become. No preventative maintenance, with often lackadaisical response. At least they saved that deepwoods shack in Gifford Pinchot though. Can't have a Parks Service employee having to pad their head on a sleeping bag under the stars like I prefer. That would be barbaric and inhuman. While I'd certainly be really torqued if one of my student nephews out there now were hurt, there is no one to blame on it because they fight fires each year and know what they are doing in all of our western states. Doesn't change the fact that much of what a firebreaker does on the ground has little to do with crowding that fire with breaks, but more like giving that fire room rather than take undue risk. There's no reason that National Guardsmen can't handle a pulaski or shovel well in advance of fire paths with zero training. Go here, do this. Wear all your gear all the time, hydrate, call Quasimodo 24 on radio for help. Ride that truck. With a PS that animals can and will kick your lazy butt to get out of a fire zone so they get right of way. Quit screwing around with property and lives and just put the damn fires out.
 @FreeCoffeeNow! Dude... you're a ramble a minute on this topic.Â
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@FreeCoffeeNow!
Altho I noticed that you have the personality of a basic English class student telling from your responses since you can't seem to take the criticism.
 @Zoso  @TruthinAdverts Cool. Good luck with that whole basic English class then.
 @FreeCoffeeNow! @TruthinAdverts I'll try reading your comments again when they actually make sense.
Be safe, firefighters. Thank you for what you do.