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Wildfires rip through five states

Calmer weather on Sunday helped firefighters tighten their grip on the blazes, but dry, hot weather is expected in the days ahead.

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In Washington state, fire crews worked to protect the town of Chelan, Washington, from fires burning on three sides.

Firefighters are battling six separate fires in the Chelan area that have caused 1,500 residents to flee and charred more than 155 square miles.

Across Oregon more than 1,000 people have been forced to evacuate homes, ranches and resorts due to wildfires that blew up Friday as strong winds swept across the state.

“There were really exactly certain people throughout the sandy beaches near that often lake area with their swimwear from water right near it”, Patterson instructed The…

Officials say the number of destroyed structures is likely to go higher. Two homes were destroyed and evacuation notices were issued for about 150 homes in McNiel Canyon.

An estimated 100 structures have already been lost, including homes and cabins in the four fires around Chelan, a town of about 4,000 people, according to Chelan County Emergency Management.

At its largest on Saturday, the band stretched 15 miles.

But in Idaho, a 70-year-old woman died after she fell while trying to evacuate a wildfire.

Cheryl Lee Wissler of Adams Grade died Friday from a head injury she sustained when she fell, authorities said.

Several wildfires burning in northwest Idaho have scorched more than 80 square miles as of Sunday morning.

A giant blaze on the Idaho-Oregon border grew to 414 square miles Friday, scorching grassland ranchers need to feed cattle and primary habitat for sage grouse, a bird being considered for federal protection.

Several businesses in downtown Chelan – a bookshop, a boutique, a kitchen store and a pizzeria, among others – had posted hand-drawn signs indicating they were closed Sunday. Dry conditions have fueled the spread of the fires.

At least two more wildfires were sparked in California Sunday.

The state’s biggest fire had burned almost 21 square miles in Glacier National Park.

A 45-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson, Montebello Fire Department Deputy Chief Dan Amador told the Whittier Daily News.

To the north a wildfire that burned buildings at an abandoned rehabilitation centre in rural Castaic has charred about 300 acres in Angeles National Forest.

The Dodge Fire, located 17 miles northeast of Ravendale, is burning 10,570 acres and is 90 percent contained.

The Rough Fire in the Sierra National Forest now stands at 14,000 acres, with zero percent containment.

Colorado: Lightning storms across northwest Colorado are being blamed for several wildfires, including one north of Craig that was estimated at 450 acres. The fire, which has been burning for a week, has 111 personnel as well as helicopter air support attached to it, and is still rated at zero percent contained.

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Dave Bale’s Type 2 incident management team took over the fire on Saturday, adding to the responding crews to bring the firefighter total to 140.

Wildfires In Oregon Force More Than 1000 People To Evacuate