Around Washington state, officials are worried the acreage will greatly expand in the coming days due to dry, hot weather conditions with more than 390,000 acres burning in the state Thursday.
"There are 35 to 45 miles per hour sustained winds this afternoon," reporter Anna King told OPB's All Things Considered host Kate Davidson Thursday. "The winds are out of the northwest and they're coming down Lake Chelan. That will affect helicopters too and how they can maneuver."
Three firefighters were killed Wednesday near Twisp. The U.S. Forest Service identified firefighters killed Wednesday as Tom Zbyszewski, 20, Andrew Zajac, 26, and Richard Wheeler, 31. Daniel Lyon, 25, was one of the four injured in the crash and is being treated at Harborview Hospital in Seattle.
King said at a press conference Thursday in Chelan, Washington, Gov. Jay Inslee called the conditions unprecedented and that he was saddened by the loss of the three men. He along with Washington Sens. Mariah Cantwell and Patty Murray acknowledged the shortcomings of the state and said safety of firefighters and the public is a top priority.
King said people are reaching out to their displaced neighbors with meals and available rooms.
"I was listening to a local radio program this morning, where people were calling in and saying, 'Hey, I got two rooms at this and this address, call me at this number, and come get a hot shower,'" King said. "People are really reaching out to their neighbors and friends to help everyone have a good night's rest, a hot shower and a meal."
