Firefighters are working across the West to extinguish wildfires that continue to scorch the region. Aided by erratic weather, the blazes have prompted evacuations, caused power outages and have reduced miles of terrain to cinders.
Washington
Fire officials are working in the Chelan area in central Washington to contain several large fires that have destroyed more than 50 structures in the area. In total, the blazes have scorched more than 155 square miles, forced about 1,500 residents to evacuate their homes and caused widespread power outages in the area.
Fire incident spokesman Wayne Patterson said Sunday that more fire crews, including crews from the Washington National Guard, are being mobilized to fight six fires burning in the area, according to 12 News. He also revealed that air tankers have set up lines to keep the flames from reaching downtown Chelan, a popular central Washington resort town. Helicopters have been dipping into Lake Chelan to pull up water to battle blazes north of the lake.
"There were literally people on the beaches near that lake in their swimwear out on the lake right near it," he said.
California
In California, roughly 14,000 firefighters were struggling with 19 fires across the state, reported CalFire in a Sunday update. Firefighters have largely contained the most dangerous of them, the Jerusalem Fire, which spread across almost 40 square miles of Lake and Napa counties. However, the blaze - along with six others - was still releasing smoke south across the San Francisco Bay Area, according to NBC's Bay Area affiliate NBC Bay Area.
The smoke coming in from the north was so thick that residents in the San Francisco Bay Area believed the fire was actually nearby, prompting them to call 911.
Colorado
Lightning storms across northwest Colorado are being blamed for several wildfires, reported the Daily Journal Online. One fire, north of Craig, was estimated at 450 acres. The Bureau of Land Management reported no injuries and noted that one home was evacuated.
The Northwest Colorado Fire Management Unit says nine fires were ignited Saturday.
Firefighters say the fires were pushed in multiple directions by erratic winds from passing storms.
Idaho
In Idaho, a 70-year-old woman was killed Friday from a head injury she sustained while preparing to flee from a wildfire expanding east of Lewiston, the Idaho County Sheriff's Department said Saturday.
The sheriff's department estimates about 30 homes and 75 other structures were lost to the blaze. More than 750 people were assigned to fight several fires that are surrounding the small town of Kamiah, which burned to the edge of Clearwater River directly across the water from downtown.
No End In Sight?
The region experienced calmer weather in the region this weekend, which firefighters used to help contain much of the destruction experienced earlier this month. Despite their efforts, however, there still seems to be no end to the fires in sight.
