Latest Washington – Oregon Wildfire Updates
It changes almost daily, the wildfire report in Washington and Oregon.
Some 26 homes in the John Day, Oregon area burned, part of a wildfire that has scorched over 43,000 acres. Six other fires, including those in the Chelan area, continue to torch ground and some buildings.
According to NW Cable News, here's an update on the biggest blazes in Washington state:
"As of Aug. 11 in Washington, there had been 751 fires on Department of Natural Resources-protected lands, with 628 caused by human activity, according to Janet Pearce of DNR. On August 11, 2014, Washington had seen 565 fires, with 455 human-caused.
Morning mist, cooler temperatures and calmer winds were slowing the Cougar Creek Fire and giving crews a chance to get the upper-hand on battling it. As of Tuesday, it had burned about 22,600 acres and was 20 percent contained north of Glenwood, Wash.
Lightning started the fire near Mount Adams in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
Wildfire in Chelan burned more than 155 square miles and forced 1,500 residents to evacuate their homes. At least 75 homes may have been destroyed, but an exact count was not available Monday afternoon. The fire was simply too big to determine damage levels to structures."
Officials say there's no "end of the tunnel" as far as when the wildfires will diminish or the danger will lessen, but hopefully cooler wetter weather coming possibly in September will help decrease the fire danger.