Hundreds of Homes Threatened by Wildfire in Washington State

A huge, wind-whipped fire threatened hundreds of homes--some expensive vacation retreats--as it moved toward the lakeside town of Chelan on Thursday.

The 54,000-acre fire was within five miles of the forested campgrounds, summer homes and condominiums, said Barry Marsh, a district engineer for the Wenatchee National Forest.

“Those could go like Roman candles,” he said. Earlier in the week, the fire destroyed 13 homes near the Entiat River.

Residents in Chelan, located about 105 miles east of Seattle, had not been ordered to leave, although weather forecasters predicted a wind shift that would drive the fire toward town.

“We are preparing our community for the worst possible contingency without frightening them to death,” Mayor Joyce Stewart said.

No serious injuries had been reported among the 1,500 people battling the Chelan blaze. One man, identified as Paul Hodges, 58, of Plain, Wash., died from a heart attack while in a fire camp.

The Chelan fire and dozens of smaller ones across the state were sparked by lightning storms Sunday night.

About 90 miles away, fires in Colville National Forest burned almost 600 acres.

“It looks like Mt. St. Helens went off” and spread ash over the area, said Colville forest spokeswoman Diana Baxter. “It’s eerie out there.”