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Smoke, Haze Cover Central Washington

A smoky haze is covering much of central Washington Wednesday. At least four significant wildfires are burning around Wenatchee.

Smoke billows from a lightning-sparked fire in the hills outside Wenatchee, Wash. Photo by teresia via Flickr
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Smoke billows from a lightning-sparked fire in the hills outside Wenatchee, Wash. Photo by teresia via Flickr

About 150 homes have been evacuated there, along with another 40 near the town of Cashmere. Fire managers have told even more people to be ready to flee.

Traveling through central Washington, our correspondent Austin Jenkins reports, “East of Snoqualmie in the Cle Elum area, it is very smoky here and also quite breezy. As you move further east towards Ellensburg and even south into Yakima, the smoke clears but the skies remain incredibly hazy. The presence of fires in this part of Washington state is unmistakable.”

More than 100 fires started on Saturday after what residents describe as a spectacular lightning storm in central Washington.

Copyright 2012 Northwest News Network

Copyright 2012 Northwest News Network