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WA crews battle trio of fires near Snoqualmie Pass
Firefighters are working on multiple wildfires across Washington state, with a trio of newly sparked blazes burning near Snoqualmie Pass.
ROSLYN, Wash. - The Goat Fire is the latest lightning fire to spark up in Kittitas County over the weekend, prompting evacuations north of the small community of Roslyn. Two other fires are also burning in the county.
You could see smoke coming from the Three Queens Fire on the ridges behind Cle Elum Lake on Sunday.
There have already been some level three evacuations due to the fires and locals are keeping a close eye on the situation.
Wildfires ignited by weekend lightning
What they're saying:
"We are just thanking them because they do a lot of work," said Grayson Wheatley, a Roslyn resident.
We caught up with Grayson, his mom and another resident, who had taken their gratitude to the streets to thank firefighters as they rolled through the small town of Roslyn on their way to and from base camp in Cle Elum.
They say the fires are burning only about 15 miles away from the edge of town.
"Fingers crossed they will stay away," said Lindsay Wheatley, a Roslyn resident.
"The firefighters are going back and forth all day doing everything they can for us," said Lisa Riste, a Roslyn resident who was holding a "thank you" sign and cheering as firefighters drove by.
Evacuations ordered as flames threaten area
Whitney Machado is part of the team working on the three fires in the area.
He says that the Three Queens Fire started a couple of weeks ago and is now over 6,700 acres and burning towards Cooper Lake.
"We are continuing to build and strengthen our primary containment lines," said Whitney Machado, Field Operations Section Chief on Team 13.
The King Fire was first reported a few days ago and had grown to more than 580 acres by Sunday. That fire is pictured below.
Then, another round of lightning came through and sparked up the Goat Fire, with the picture below showing the steep terrain it's burning in.
Screenshot
"Washington received about 400 lighting strikes and numerous fires started from there," said Whitney Machado, Field Operations Section Chief on Team 13.
Windy conditions also posed a challenge for fire spread this weekend, along with other higher-risk fire weather on the way this week.
"We are using aviation to continue to cool the fire in anticipation of hotter, drier weather," said Machado.
Local perspective:
"It’s been really smokey," said Caitlinn Woodhall, a Roslyn resident.
Caitlinn Woodhall works at the Brick Saloon in Roslyn and says business has also taken a hit due to the fire, including the local farmer's market.
"They had to close one of the Sundays because it was too smokey to be out there selling and have people walking around in the smoke," said Caitlinn Woodhall, Roslyn resident.
She says closures in the Wenatchee National Forest near Lake Cle Elum and fewer Suncadia visitors have also had an impact.
"It’s been a bit of a slip," said Woodhall.
Colwash Fire in Yakima County, WA, grows over 20,000 acres overnight
A fire in Yakima County that started as a vegetation fire has grown to over 38,000 acres in a little over 24 hours, prompting evacuation orders and warnings for residents of Yakima and Benton counties.
Community rallies to support firefighters
Meantime, signs of thanks are everywhere in Roslyn for those doing their best to turn the tide.
"They are away from home, and they are doing something amazing to protect our community," said Lindsay Wheatley, Roslyn resident.
There are a lot of trails and campgrounds closed in the area, so if you are going to be heading out to vacation or recreate, be aware of that as well.
The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle.
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