[1]Courtesy photo by West Thurston Regional Fire Authority
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
Local firefighters from Napavine, Morton and Rochester have joined crews battling a wildfire near Cle Elum that has reportedly [2] claimed 60 homes and more than 26,000 acres.
The wildfire that started about 1:20 p.m. yesterday is burning in sage and timber, according to the state fire marshal’s office.
Lewis County District 5 spokesperson Megan Van Egdom reports three personnel from the Napavine area department took a brush truck and a water tender when they headed east last night.
West Thurston Regional Fire Authority based in Rochester and Littlerock sent five people to assist, according to Chief Robert Scott.
A team from his department just returned after four days working a wildfire in Chelan County that ignited last weekend, Scott said.
The chief said he wants to assure local residents that even though he is sending people and apparatus out of the area, he still has resources in place here to protect the public.
The Seattle Times [2] this morning reported some 600 firefighters are expected to be on the scene today of the fast moving fire that has prompted evacuations of more than 450 people.
It is located about six miles east of Cle Elum on state Route 10, Deputy State Fire Marshal Ed Borgatti said in a news release last night.
The fire is human caused, according to the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center.