3 firefighters killed battling Washington state wildfire

TWISP, Wash. -- Three firefighters were killed and three to four others were injured, at least one critically, on Wednesday as raging wildfires advanced on towns in north-central Washington, CBS Spokane, Washington ffiliate KREM reported.

Okanogan County Sheriff Frank Rogers said the deaths, in a wildfire near the town of Twisp, had been confirmed, but he said he was not immediately releasing further details about the circumstances.

CBS Seattle affiliate KIRO tweeted one important detail:

Another firefighter was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle in critical condition, a nursing supervisor there said.

"My heart breaks over the loss of life," Gov. Jay Inslee said in a written statement. "I know all Washington joins me and Trudi in sending our prayers to the families of these brave firefighters. They gave their lives to protect others. It was their calling, but the loss for their families is immense."

The news came after officials urged people in the popular outdoor-recreation centers of Twisp and Wintrop, in the scenic Methow River valley about 115 miles northeast of Seattle, to evacuate as a fire near Twisp grew to about two square miles.

The Okanogan County Emergency Management department issued the order for the towns, which combined have a population of about 1,300.

A larger group of fires burning to the east covered about 50 square miles and prompted the evacuation of Conconully, home to about 200 people 20 miles northwest of Omak. To the south, more than 1,100 firefighters were combatting a fire that topped 108 square miles and was still threatening the resort town of Chelan.

Angela Seydel, a spokeswoman for Okanogan Emergency Management, said Wednesday evening that 4,000 homes in the region had been evacuated.

"It is really bad out there. The fires have just exploded," she said. "We're just directing everybody to head south."

A stream of cars poured south out of Twisp as dark smoke clouds loomed; the highway to the north was closed. Some people put sprinklers on their roofs in an effort to protect their homes, and others joined gas lines several cars deep.

The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for the eastern portion of the state from 11 a.m. Wednesday to 5 p.m. Friday. Officials said temperatures will climb above 90 degrees and relative humidity will drop as low as 14 percent.

Following news of the firefighters' deaths, Inslee sent out a press release stating he had requested federal Emergency Declaration to secure additional wildfire resources, KREM reported.

The governor's request was sent to President Obama through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and pointed out that currently 11 counties and four tribes are affected or threatened by fires. Officials have confirmed that the fires have already destroyed more than 50 homes, 60 other structures, and more than 235,000 acres of land.

Drought and heat have combined to make this fire season of the most active in the United States in recent years. Nearly 29,000 firefighters are battling some 100 large blazes across the West, including in Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Washington and California.