Growing Washington Wildfires Are 'An Unprecedented Cataclysm,' Governor Says
There was very little good news in eastern Washington state fire country Thursday, as first responders and state officials mourned three firefighters who died in the line of duty and fretted about bad weather and growing blazes.
Under smoke-filled skies the sickly yellow color of a fading bruise, Gov. Jay Inslee called the current conditions "an unprecedented cataclysm in our state. There are 390,000 acres burning. Last year was bad with 250,000 acres.
"We are mustering all of the resources that can be safely deployed to fight these fires,” including more than 3,000 firefighters and 26 aircraft, Inslee said at a news conference in front of Chelan County Fire District No. 7.
U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell described Thursday as "one of the highest-risk days of the fire season, because of the winds expected this afternoon."
Inslee also spoke movingly about the firefighters who died Wednesday near the small rural town of Twisp. He called on the state's residents to thank the first responders who are risking their lives and cooperate with their orders as they work to protect the drought-plagued region.
MORE...
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-washington-wildfire-firefighters-killed-20150820-story.html
