High wind and low humidity are fueling wildfires across Washington, stretching crews thin as several blazes burn at once. The largest of them, the Kaiser Canyon fire in Okanogan County, has ballooned in size and remains completely out of control, while farther south firefighters are finally starting to gain ground on the Lions Ferry fire burning near the Tri-Cities. Together the two fires capture the pressure the state is under during a hot, dry stretch.
The Kaiser Canyon fire has grown to more than 60,000 acres and is still listed at 0% containment, meaning crews have yet to establish any control line around its perimeter. Officials say the fire was started by a lightning strike, and the combination of gusty winds and parched vegetation has allowed it to keep spreading across the north-central part of the state rather than being pinned down.
The flames are now threatening the town of Nespelem and the sacred site of the Colville Indian Reservation, raising the stakes for both residents and tribal land. Nearly 500 firefighters have been sent to the area to try to slow the fire's advance, and Level 3 go-now evacuation orders remain in place, telling people in the affected zone to leave immediately rather than wait for conditions to worsen.
Farther south, the picture is more hopeful. Firefighters are making progress on the Lions Ferry fire, which is burning northwest of the Tri-Cities after scorching thousands of acres. Officials say progress has been slow, but containment now stands at 28%, a meaningful step up from the earlier days of the fire when crews had little control over its spread.
That progress has been enough for authorities to ease some of the pressure on nearby communities. Officials have downgraded evacuations in the area and reopened nearby state parks. Level 2 be-ready evacuation orders, marked in yellow, are now in place, meaning residents in those locations should be ready to leave at a moment's notice, while Level 1 orders, a warning to stay alert, are also in effect.
As part of that downgrade, two popular recreation areas have been allowed to welcome visitors again. Both the Lions Ferry State Park and Palouse Falls State Park reopened at noon on Sunday, a sign that officials believe conditions immediately around them have stabilized enough to lift the closures that had been in place while the fire was most active.
The two fires are not the only concern for crews heading into the week. Additional fires are popping up in the Cascades closer to the Puget Sound area, and forecasters warn that fire risk and smoke are likely to persist through midweek as hot, dry weather continues. Officials are urging residents in and near the affected zones to follow evacuation notices closely and be ready to move quickly if conditions change.