TWISP, Wash. — Three firefighters were killed and three to four others were injured Wednesday as raging wildfires advanced on towns in north-central Washington, authorities said.
Okanogan County Sheriff Frank Rogers said the deaths, in a wildfire near Twisp, had been confirmed, but he said he was not immediately releasing further details about the circumstances.
"My heart breaks over the loss of life," Gov. Jay Inslee said in a written statement.
My heart breaks over the loss of life in the Twisp fire. We keep all firefighters in our prayers tonight http://t.co/NilDOy0Xj9 #wawildfire— Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) August 20, 2015
"I know all Washington joins me and Trudi in sending our prayers to the families of these brave firefighters. They gave their lives to protect others. It was their calling, but the loss for their families is immense."
The news came after officials urged people in the popular outdoor-recreation centers of Twisp and Wintrop, in the scenic Methow River valley about 115 miles northeast of Seattle, to evacuate as a complex of fires in the area covered about 50 square miles. The Okanogan County Emergency Management department issued the order for the towns, which combined have a population of about 1,300.
Charred hillside above Chelan. #wildland #wildfires #firefighting #chelanfire #chelancomplex A video posted by Tristan Baurick (@tristanbaurick) on Aug 18, 2015 at 12:33pm PDT
The town of Conconully, home to about 200 people 20 miles northwest of Omak, had also been evacuated.
Angela Seydel, a spokeswoman for the agency, said Wednesday evening that 4,000 homes in the region had been evacuated.
"It is really bad out there. The fires have just exploded," she said. "We're just directing everybody to head south." On Instagram, one firefighter in the area said, "These fires are getting ridiculous. Around 80K acres burned so far. That's just the ONE fire we are currently working on."
These fires are getting ridiculous. Around 80K acres burned so far. That's just the ONE fire we are currently working on. A photo posted by paulcollins83 (@paulcollins83) on Aug 17, 2015 at 10:27pm PDT
The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for the eastern portion of the state from 11 a.m. Wednesday to 5 p.m. Friday. Officials said temperatures will climb above 90 degrees and relative humidity will drop as low as 14 percent.
A photo posted by Michael Caldwell (@wildfire_is_life) on Aug 17, 2015 at 11:02pm PDT
Drought and heat have combined to make this fire season of the most active in the United States in recent years. Nearly 29,000 firefighters are battling some 100 large blazes across the West, including in Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Washington and California.
Some of the firefighters have been sharing photos and videos of their efforts to contain the blaze. The photos show the grueling, sometimes monotonous work they do to keep the flames from spreading.
Wildfire deployment Day 3. Putting out spot fires and mopping up. #chelanfire #wildfires #reachcomplex #firefighting A photo posted by Tristan Baurick (@tristanbaurick) on Aug 17, 2015 at 8:28pm PDT
A photo posted by paulcollins83 (@paulcollins83) on Aug 18, 2015 at 9:12pm PDT
We worked at trying to save a few big pines on the fire line. #wildland #chelanfire #firefighting #reachfire #reachcomplex #wildfires #chelan A video posted by Tristan Baurick (@tristanbaurick) on Aug 16, 2015 at 4:51pm PDT
Putting out a fire that jumped the fire line and was sweeping across a field above Chelan A video posted by Tristan Baurick (@tristanbaurick) on Aug 18, 2015 at 12:33pm PDT
Packing up. My strike team's been reassigned to a new fire in Omak. I'll join them today but I have to return home tomorrow for work. We're rushing north now. A photo posted by Tristan Baurick (@tristanbaurick) on Aug 19, 2015 at 8:40am PDT
Others nearby posted images and videos of planes and helicopters dropping fire retardant over the area.
They called in the big Gun's! #conconully A photo posted by Conner Kelcher (@connerf150) on Aug 18, 2015 at 3:05pm PDT
Almost got soaked by retardant!! This guy was close! But the fire was closer! #conconully #firefighter #fire #wildfire #lifesaving #thankyou A video posted by Conner Kelcher (@connerf150) on Aug 18, 2015 at 2:41pm PDT