Existing fires in Central Washington grew overnight and new fires have begun to burn, stretching emergency responders even more, reports The Spokesman-Review.
The 840 acre Duncan Ridge fire is burning three miles north of the Cottonwood Guard Station in the Entiat Valley. The fire, which is burning in alpine timber, has been added to the Mills Canyon Complex fire, according to Chelan County Emergency Management.
The Saddle Mountain Fire started Friday afternoon in Kittitas County near the Yakima Training Center. The fire was burning toward Huntzinger Road and cut off 69 people and a fire truck at the Auvil Fruit Company, according to a Kittitas County press release. Forty people were able to escape via the Priest Rapids Dam initially and by Saturday afternoon everyone was safe and accounted for.
The fire had grown to 38,000 acres as of Saturday morning and burned part of an abandoned railroad trestle that crosses the Columbia River at the Grant County line. Three homes were lost in the Getty’s Cove area and three homes burned in the Auvil area.
Huntzinger Road remains closed. A Red Cross shelter for the Saddle Mountain fire evacuees has been set up at the Kittitas High School.
The Carlton Complex fire has now burned 215,000 acres and is moving toward the town of Malott, according to Chelan County Emergency Management.
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