Gov. Jay Inslee is asking President Obama for a Major Disaster Declaration to deal with devastating wildfires in eastern Washington.
A declaration would provide federal assistance to help families, business owners and local governments recover from the wildfires.
Inslee late Wednesday sent a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The governor asked for individual assistance, public assistance and hazard mitigation programs for Chelan and Okanogan counties and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.
That covers the areas hardest hit by wildfires so far this summer. The fires include the Carlton Complex, the largest wildfire in state history.