Intense fire week forces road closures and evacuation notices in WA
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Fire crews fighting a slew of wildfires are still on high alert in the Northwest.
Washington state is dealing with at least 10 large fires as of Friday, July 26, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
Firefighters were faced with at least three new fires in Yakima and Klickitat Counties that started this week alone.
One of the biggest is the Big Horn Fire in Klickitat County.
The Big Horn fire started on July 22 seven miles southeast of Bickleton and north of Roosevelt. The fire was driven by windy and dry conditions in the area.
According to Inciweb on Friday, the Big Horn fire had burned nearly 50,000 acres and was 21% contained.
“Calmer winds have helped fire crews establish stronger fire perimeters and the fire has stayed within existing boundaries so far,” Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office posted to social media Friday.
Inciweb also noted as of Friday afternoon, East Road remained closed from Bickleton south to Middle Road, as well as State Route 14 from Roosevelt to Alderdale Road. Alderdale Road from Linda Lane south to the intersection with State Route 14 is also closed.
The Washington State Department of Transportation also noted State Route 14 is closed in both directions from milepost 133 near Frontage Road to milepost 149 near Alder Creek due to smoke from the Big Horn Fire.
In Yakima County, the Black Canyon Fire also started on July 22 in the Wenas Valley, about 100 miles northwest of Naches.
According to Inciweb, as of Friday, that surpassed 11,000 acres and has no containment.
Also in Yakima, the Retreat Fire prompted Level 3 and Level 2 evacuations. The fire started on July 23, just southwest of Naches. As of Friday, it had reportedly burned more than 13,000 acres and also had no containment.
“The fire is being managed under a full suppression strategy with public and firefighter safety as the number one priority,” said the latest report about the Retreat Fire. “Active fire behavior may be observed due to forecasted winds and smoke lifting out of drainages.”
According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, US Highway 12 is still closed. The traffic stopped eastbound at the summit of White Pass, and westbound at the junction of U.S. 12 and State Route 410.
An evacuation center is open at Naches Valley High School.
The latest reports fires reports also mentioned that smoke impacts should be expected during the weekend in central and eastern Washington due to the large number of fires in the Northwest.
Air Quality Alerts were in place for much of Washington on Friday.
