Winds fan wildfire near Wenatchee to 5,800 acres

Winds whipped a wildfire to 5,800 acres on Sunday, but firefighters managed to protect hundreds of homes that were threatened by the flames.

Between 250 and 270 homes were under evacuation advisories, but those that had been under mandatory evacuation orders were downgraded, allowing residents to return home, said Rick Isaacson, a spokesman for the Easy Street Fire.

Two firefighters suffered minor injuries -- one for dehydration.

The human-caused fire was burning near the Eaglerock Subdivision in the Warm Springs Canyon area, about three miles northwest of this central Washington city.

Winds gusting to 20-30 mph were pushing the fire to the north and east, away from houses, Isaacson said Sunday evening. There was no estimate when it would be contained, he said.

At least three outbuildings were destroyed and several houses were damaged, Isaacton said.

The fire was reported about 2:15 p.m. Saturday near the Highline Canal.

Chelan County Sheriff Mike Harum told The Wenatchee World that a man playing with fireworks may have sparked the fire, and could be arrested for investigation of reckless burning.

Roughly 200 firefighters were battling the blaze, supported by 30 engines, four helicopters with water buckets and three retardant-dropping tanker planes.

Winds remained in the forecast, Isaacson said, with warm weather forecast for the next few days as well as increased chances of lighting.

"It looks like it's calmed down a little bit, but it's unpredictable," he said.

In northeastern Washington, a brush fire had burned about 1,000 to 1,200 acres near the old mining town of Nighthawk near the Canadian border.

The fire just west of Oroville was burning in grass, sage and scattered timber on federal Bureau of Land Management land, and no structures were threatened.

It's cause was not immediately available Sunday.