1,000 flee homes as wildfire quickly spreads in Wenatchee

[uppityperson]

While the east of the country has been wet, out west we've have exceptionally warm and dry spring. Saturday gave us record heat for many places in WA and OR. There is a wildfire in the rainforest in WA (sparkly vampire area) and this sprung up yesterday. It was a small brush fire in the afternoon, now is seriously bad. The heat and wind combined to make a serious fire by Wenatchee, population 31,000.


http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/fire-threatens-homes-near-wenatchee/

A fast-moving wildfire fueled by high temperatures has grown to more than 1,800 acres, burned a dozen structures and was threatening as many as 70 more buildings in Wenatchee. More than 1,000 people have fled their homes.

The Sleepy Hollow Fire “is a very quickly-spreading fire,” said chief deputy state fire marshal Bill Slosson, who described the area as a “pretty dense urban interface area.”

The blaze sparked Sunday afternoon was burning out of control 12 hours later, said Rich Magnussen, a spokesman for the Chelan County Emergency Management office.

....

[Phentex]

1. This is just awful...

I hope they get some relief soon!

[uppityperson]

2. Homes, businesses, chemicals burning

http://www.weather.com/safety/wildfires/news/fire-wenatchee-washington

(clip)

Due to an ongoing heat wave in the Northwest, temperatures in Wenatchee were still in the 90's as of midnight local time, according to weather.com senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman. "Light surface winds eventually shifted northwesterly up to 15 mph Sunday evening into the overnight hours," said Erdman. "Showers moved over Wenatchee, but only produced a trace of rain, given the dry air in place."

As a result, the fire had reached homes and businesses within hours. According to the Wenatchee World, the first homes burned after 8 p.m. local time.

The flames also spread to businesses, burning through Michelsen Packaging, Northern Wholseale Inc. and the Bluebird fruit warehouse, the Wenatchee World reports. Propane and other chemical tanks at the businesses caught fire and exploded, sending a plume of flames into the night sky.

At around midnight local time, emergency responders were worried that the flames could lead to an ammonia leak at Bluebird, and instructed residents nearby to "stay inside, close all windows and doors, turn off all ventilation systems and seal themselves inside a room if possible" to prevent potential exposure....

[shenmue]

3. :(

Everybody be careful.

[suffragette]

4. Updated to 24 structures burned

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/hundreds-of-homes-evacuated-in-fast-moving-wenatchee-fire/

At least 24 structures and about 3,000 acres have burned in the fast-moving Sleepy Hollow Fire in the Wenatchee area.

Several hundred homes have been evacuated, Trooper Darren Wright of the Washington State Patrol said Monday morning.

An early morning rainstorm helped tamper the fire down.

“It looks like we got some assistance out of it but it’s not out,” Wright said.

[AnotherDreamWeaver]

5. is the bottom foto across a river?

That stream of water isn't going to do much in that situation. I wish them all the best.