NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS
Associated Press Writer
LEAVENWORTH, Wash. (AP) _ Fire engines streamed out of this mountain resort town as cool weather helped knock down a wildfire, the latest example of the progress being made against blazes that have charred nearly a half-million acres in the West.
The complex of fires that has threatened several homes in Leavenworth was 30 percent contained on Monday, and firefighters were looking forward to rain forecast as early as Tuesday night. So far, the fire has cost $3.6 million to fight, officials said.
Chelan County Sheriff Mike Brickert said evacuation orders were lifted for 50 homes, although 18 families were not being allowed back to houses in the road's upper reaches. No homes have been damaged by the fire.
``We're much more confident about the fire not coming down the valley,'' Chelan County Fire Chief Doug Devore said Monday.
The Icicle Creek fire complex that has threatened Leavenworth was one of eight blazes that had burned more than 150,000 acres by Monday in Washington state and one of 40 burning more than 450,300 acres in seven Western states, according to the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho.
The National Weather Service said a strong weather system was moving from the Gulf of Alaska into Washington, bringing with it the possibility of record rainfall of an inch or more on the west side of the state on Tuesday. Showers could extend south into Oregon, where firefighters also are battling large blazes.
Weaker winds and lower temperatures over the weekend allowed firefighters to fully contain four fires around Oregon. Firefighters still were working to contain wildfires scorching more than 105,720 acres across Oregon.
Crews scraped and burned a perimeter around the town of Monument, keeping a 28,717-acre fire from homes in the area. But buildings still were threatened and the blaze remained a top priority for fighters. The fire was 55 percent contained Monday.
``They're making a lot of progress in Washington and Oregon, although there are still some evacuations in place,'' said Rob Kopack, a spokesman at the National Interagency Fire Center. ``The Pacific Northwest is still a huge concern.''
Also hard hit was Northern California, where nine major fires have blackened more than 100,000 acres.
Top priority was being given to a 2,100-acre fire burning a half mile outside San Andreas. It was only 10 percent contained.
Residents living on eight roads in the rural area were ordered evacuated Sunday, with additional such orders expected.
In Utah, a brush fire forced the evacuation of about 400 campers some 60 miles southeast of Salt Lake City. The fire began Saturday evening and grew Sunday to between 8,500 acres to 10,000 acres.
In Wyoming, about 40 homes were evacuated along both sides of the Idaho-Wyoming border because of a 475-acre fire south of Palisades Reservoir. A 2,000-acre fire was threatening ranches and an oil field.
