Twisp: Three firefighters died after their vehicle crashed and was likely caught by flames as they battled a blaze in Washington state, authorities said. Four other firefighters were injured. The casualties came Wednesday as firefighters on several fronts fought against raging wildfires advancing on towns in the north-central part of the state. The crash during the wildfire occurred near the town of Twisp, the National Forest Service said.
"The firefighters were engaged in initial attack operations and were involved in a vehicle accident when it is believed that the fire overtook the vehicle," said the statement from Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, relaying information from Okanogan County Sheriff Frank Rogers. It wasn't immediately clear if the four injured were also involved in the accident.
In an emailed statement, the White House said President Barack Obama had been apprised of the deaths. He directed the administration to stay in touch with state and local officials and to provide federal assistance as necessary.
Gov. Jay Inslee requested a federal emergency declaration to provide more help to pay for fighting the many wildfires burning in Washington state.
The deaths came after officials urged people in the popular outdoor-recreation centers northeast of Seattle to evacuate as a fire near Twisp grew to about 2 square miles (5 sq. kilometers).
A larger group of fires burning to the east covered about 50 square miles (130 sq. kilometers) and prompted the evacuation of Conconully, home to about 200 people.
To the south, more than 1,100 firefighters were combatting a fire that topped 108 square miles (280 sq. kilometers)and was still threatening the resort town of Chelan.
Drought and heat have combined to make this fire season one 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.
