WENATCHEE, Wash. — Crews in central Washington are working to protect homes wildfires as a destructive fire season stretches into September with no relief expected from the weather anytime soon.
Rains that fell in the Seattle area after a 48-day dry stretch didn't make it over the Cascade Mountains that divide the state's western and eastern halves.
Wenatchee police Sgt. John Kruse says gusty winds could fan the flames of dozens of blazes.
Only a shed has been lost near Wenatchee, and no injuries have been reported.
Residents of about 180 homes on the west side of Wenatchee were told to evacuate Sunday. A shelter was set up at a church because of the 500-acre blaze that continued to burn in the hills. It was so windy that newly arriving crews struggled to set up their tents.