Massive wildfire burns homes, leads to evacuations

[sue4e3]

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — A large, wind-whipped wildfire in rural north-central Washington destroyed an estimated 100 homes, forced the evacuation of a small town and cut power to most of the scenic Methow Valley.

A spokesman for the Carlton Complex Fire, Jacob McCann, said Friday that the fire "ran quite a bit" on Thursday and officials were also able to get a better handle on its size. It blackened 260 square miles by Friday morning, up dramatically from the last estimate of 28 square miles.

"This is a very dynamic situation," said another fire spokesman, Dan Omdal. "Fire activity is really high. Things are changing very quickly."

Officials say no injuries have been reported.

Authorities say the wildfire has already burned about 100 homes and prompted the evacuation of the small town of Pateros, home to about 650 people in Okanogan County. A hospital in nearby Brewster was also evacuated as a precaution.

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http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20140718/US--Western.Wildfires/

[uppityperson]

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[dixiegrrrrl]

2. that area was on my retirement list.

Gorgeous area, Used to drive up that way a lot and go over the North Cascades Highway.
Very sad to hear of so many people being burned out.