Wildfires picked up their destructive pace across the drought-choked West on Friday, leading residents to flee their homes and authorities to scramble for resources to beat back the flames.
Blazes in Washington state that killed three firefighters and injured four others have exploded in size, while other fires charged toward populated areas in several states amid the threat of windy weather.
A look at large Western wildfires:
WASHINGTON
Massive wildfires expanding across arid Washington state have so overtaxed firefighters that the federal government declared an emergency and state officials took the unprecedented step of seeking volunteers to help fight the flames.
The state Department of Natural Resources said it would review civilians’ offers to help and send them where they would be most useful. Volunteers could start applying Friday, the same day President Barack Obama authorized the federal government to coordinate disaster relief efforts.
It is the first time the state has asked for volunteers as an explosive fire season led to the deaths of three firefighters and the evacuation of entire towns. At least 10 blazes were burning in north-central Washington’s Okanogan County alone, where the complex of blazes that killed the firefighters grew by more than 100 square miles in a day.
The group of fires had charred just over 252 square miles by Friday and were largely uncontrolled, fire spokesman Rick Isaacson said. Even a fire base camp was told to prepare to evacuate.
Officials don’t know how many homes or other buildings have been destroyed but ordered part of the community of Okanogan, with 2,500 residents, to evacuate as well as Tonasket, a community of 1,000 people, and its surrounding area.
IDAHO
Evacuations have been ordered in northern Idaho as a group of wildfires that has already destroyed 42 homes threatened more residences Friday despite nearly 800 firefighters trying to beat back the flames.
Idaho had 17 large fires burning Friday, the most in the nation.
Fire managers told residents near the town of Weippe late Thursday to flee the fires that have scorched 63 square miles of mostly timber and are partially contained. A local high school is being used to shelter evacuees.
In west-central Idaho, fire managers say winds expected Friday could cause an 11-square-mile wildfire to grow significantly despite fire lines built by some 460 firefighters.
U.S. Highway 95 could be closed depending on fire activity.
OREGON
Officials are getting some control over a wildfire that has destroyed 36 homes and driven people from their homes, but gusty winds were expected to continue spreading the flames.
The complex of fires near the community of John Day has scorched almost 100 square miles, much of it in the Malheur National Forest. Lightning sparked it Aug. 12 and strong winds pushed it up a canyon in a run that ruined the homes.
More than 900 people have been dispatched to fight it, but some crews were diverted Thursday to a new wildfire east of John Day near Prairie City. Some homeowners northeast of Prairie City were put on evacuation alert.
Warnings about winds that could rapidly spread flames remained in effect through Friday.
CALIFORNIA
More than 12,000 firefighters are battling 17 wildfires across California, including a quick-moving blaze in a popular northern recreational area that has led most of a church camp to evacuate.
The fire burning for nearly three weeks on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada grew to 60 square miles Friday near Kings Canyon National Park and was bearing down on popular Hume Lake.
The fire is moving toward the lake so quickly that the incident command post was moved Thursday night from the lake to the ranger station in the Sequoia National Forest.
More than 2,500 campers, hikers, employees and residents have been evacuated from the area this week.
COLORADO
Smoke from large Western wildfires has led Colorado officials to expand a health advisory to the northern half of the state Friday.
The heavily populated Denver-Fort Collins area was included in the advisory, along with cities ranging from Grand Junction, near the state’s western border, to Julesberg, in the northeast corner.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment cautioned people with respiratory or heart problems to stay indoors if smoke is heavy.
The National Weather Service warned that wildfire danger was high in northwest Colorado because of gusty winds, low humidity and dry vegetation. Crews were monitoring two small lightning-caused wildfires.
