Fast growing Washington State wildfire burning south of Omak

Dozens of wildfires are burning south of the U.S.-Canada border in Washington State and they are destroying homes and property, as people are forced to evacuate.

The State's commissioner of public Lands Hilary Franz says nine large fires are burning with 58 new wildfire starts in the last 24 hours.

Jeff Sevigney, a fire information officer with the Washington Department of Natural Resources, says all of the wildfires burning in the northeastern region of the state are “of great concern.”

Hurricane-force winds and high temperatures kicked up wildfires across parts of the Pacific Northwest over the holiday weekend, burning hundreds of thousands of acres and mostly destroying the small town of Malden in eastern Washington, south of Spokane.

Sevigney says the Cold Springs wildfire, near Omak, broke out Sunday, Sept. 6, at around 9:45 p.m. and spread quickly due to high winds and low humidity. It is zero per cent contained.

The massive 140,000 wildfire broke out less than a mile from Omak and is heading down Highway 97 towards Brewster, Sevigney says.

Omak is roughly an hour's drive south of Osoyoos.

The fire has consumed multiple structures and numerous road closures are in place in the area.

Okanogan County Fairgrounds is open for livestock and has areas for RV campers, with Red Cross coordinating shelter for those who have been evacuated.

The Northwest Interagency Coordination Centre lists several large fires in northwest Washington today, Sept. 8, including the Apple Acres fire at 5,000 acres, and the Beachie Creek fire which is at 776 acres and is threatening the towns of Gates, Mill City, Lyons, Stanton and Scotts Mills.

— With files from The Associated Press

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