70 homes in Washington state destroyed as wildfires spread

Bendigo Advertiser

CLE ELUM, Wash. ? The extreme fire conditions across the US west have exploded, with several burning across the region and about 70 homes destroyed in Washington state.

The blazes, fuelled by searing heat, dry weather and strong winds added up to misery for weary residents who already are fed up with one of the region's worst fire seasons in decades.

Not only are more of the nation's wildfires occurring in the West this year than last, but the fires have gotten bigger, said Jennifer Smith of the National Interagency Fire Centre in Boise, Idaho.

As of Wednesday, 42,933 wildfires had been reported in the country this season, burning 2.6 million hectares. The 10-year average for this period is 52,535 fires, but covering only 2 million hectares, she said.

In recent days, one firefighter died in Idaho after being struck by a falling tree. Another suffered minor burns and smoke inhalation after a blaze along the Nevada-Oregon border forced her to crawl into an emergency fire shelter.

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Source: http://www.firerescue1.com/fire-attack/articles/1331038-70-homes-in-Washington-state-destroyed-as-wildfires-spread/

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