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Wildfires in North Cascades, Okanogan County grow

Wildfires in North Cascades, Okanogan County grow

A North Cascades National Park Service fire fighter wraps a structure in flame retardant material. Courtesy of North Cascades National Park Service Photo: Contributed


NORTH CASCADES NATIONAL PARK, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A pair of wildfires in northwest Washington have rapidly grown over the past few days.

The National Parks Service says the Border 2 fire has spread to about 2,500 acres, doubling in size from the last update on Monday, July 27.

It’s been burning in steep, remote terrain near the northeast side of Ross Lake since July 16.

The fire is still 0% contained as of Thursday afternoon, July 30.

Further south, the Luna Fire has remained at roughly 330 acres, burning about 10 miles north of Newhalem.

Okanogan County hit hard by wildfires

Other fires the state has authorized resources to combat have caused some headaches.

Just east of Whatcom County, the Ptarmigan Fire has more than tripled in size since the start of the week, now burning at 18,000 acres in Okanogan County.

The Sinlahekin Fire near Loomis has grown to an estimated 10,527 acres since it was ignited by lightning Sunday, July 26. The fire is burning in steep, rugged terrain and continues to spread, threatening homes and other infrastructure.

Some area residents have been ordered to leave, while many others remain on standby to evacuate. Fire officials say dry conditions and shifting winds are likely to drive further fire growth.

State officials have approved emergency fire assistance, sending six additional firefighting teams and other resources to the fire.

Meanwhile, the Kaiser Canyon Fire north of the Columbia River is approaching 130,000 acres burned in the county, with only 27% contained. It has slowed in expansion since it sparked nearly two weeks ago.

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