Tagged: Disasters and Accidents

A smoky haze is covering much of central Washington Wednesday. At least four significant wildfires are burning around Wenatchee. About 150 homes have been evacuated there, along with another 40 near the town of Cashmere. Fire managers have told even more people to be ready to flee.

The smell of smoke hangs in the air across much of central Washington Wednesday. At least four significant wildfires are burning around Wenatchee, making the skies hazy.

The Wenatchee Complex wildfire is sending a thick blanket of smoke through the Central Washington town. Some residents of Wenatchee and nearby communities have fled their homes. Several fires have combined to make a more than 1,000-acre blaze in the hills near town. A lightning storm Saturday night started more than two dozen fires in the area; many are still burning.

It's a hot dry day for fire fighters battling blazes along Route 141 in Washington, just north of White Salmon. Forty-five homes have been evacuated since Wednesday afternoon. Other homeowners have been notified they need to be ready to evacuate on short notice.

For the first time, the Japanese government says it will help to cover some of the cost of cleaning up tsunami debris on American and Canadian shores. Confirmed debris swept to sea by last year's Japanese tsunami began to wash up here this spring.