In central Idaho, a 160-square-mile wildfire in a remote, mountainous area continues to defy containment and burn through timbered slopes that are hard for firefighters to reach.
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San Bernardino County firefighter Jeremy Pendergraft helps a couple leave their home as the wildfire quickly approaches.
Officials are still estimating they’ll have the fire fully contained by August 29, but the steep terrain and timber, chaparral and grass stressed by drought are challenging firefighters’ ability to control the lines, the spokesman said.
Cal Fire investigators determined that the wildfire was unintentionally sparked.
The blaze was burning about two miles east of Hearst Castle on Tuesday morning.
The fire jumped the Spokane River and threatened the small community of Wellpinit on the Spokane Indian Reservation. A team of fire managers was being brought in to help, although the fire was not yet being actively suppressed.
Evacuation warnings have been issued for residents living north of San Simeon Creek Road, including Van Gordon Creek Road, Keystone Mine Road and Red Mountain Road.
Major tourist areas in both parks are open as the National Park Service holds events to celebrate its 100th anniversary this week.
The official assessment shows the wildfire has charred 8,300 acres and is 30 percent contained.
Along the coast, the Chimney fire is threatening the historic Hearst Castle in central California.
The South Entrance to Yellowstone National Park is expected to remain closed into this weekend because of a fire burning in neighboring Grand Teton National Park.
A firetruck passes scorched cars and trailers burned by the Blue Cut fire in Phelan, Calif., on Friday, Aug. 19, 2016.
Fire crews have carved containment lines around 35 per cent of the fire’s perimetre, and the blaze is now burning mostly toward the northeast, away from the castle and populated areas, said Stacey Nolan, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Gov. Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency for 20 Washington state counties in response to wildfires that threaten homes and natural resources.
The evacuations affect 2,448 people, according to Cal Fire.
Inslee noted that hot and windy weather conditions are forecast for the next seven days.
The fire has escalated to a top priority in the state, based on the number of threatened homes, which was listed at 200 on Monday.
All evacuation orders were lifted Sunday, but only residents were allowed beyond the road closures, which include Lone Pine Canyon Road at Swarthout Canyon Road to Highway 138; US Forest Road 3N31 at Lone Pine Canyon Road and the dirt portion of Lytle Creek Road from the gun range to the forest.
A house trailer burned before the fire was contained but the person living there escaped, KECI-TV reported.
On the eastern side, firefighters had had the “exact opposite thing going on”, with “exceptionally low” humidity, dry brush and fast-moving flames that have been a staple of this busy fire season, Spelman said. It had burned more than 10 square miles and destroyed at least five homes, officials said.
A central Idaho wildfire expanded to 150 square miles and residents of about 125 homes in the area remained under low-level evacuation notices.
In northern California, fire crews were gaining control Sunday of an arson fire that destroyed 189 homes.
That fire grew to almost 38 square miles overnight into Sunday morning and remained 35 percent contained.
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A firefighting helicopter gets water out of Isabella Lake near Wofford Heights before making another water drop on the several day old Cedar fire in the mountains Sunday. He said the fire is within a mile of the community of Alta Sierra in Kern County.
