Hot Dry Weather Not Helping Firefighters

LEAVENWORTH, Wash. (AP) — Hot dry weather is keeping several wildfires burning in Washington.

The website for the Incident Information System lists seven active wildfires Tuesday, mostly in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.

One fire threatening to grow if winds pick up is the Hansel Fire that has burned about 65 acres near Highway 97 between Blewett Pass and Leavenworth. Fire information officer Nick Mickel (MY'-kel) says residents of 14 homes near the highway have been advised to evacuate.

Another fire expected to grow is the Duncan Fire about 30 miles west of Entiat. The Hansel and Duncan fires are part of the Chiwaukum complex that has covered about 26 square miles.

A spokesman at the state Emergency Operations Center, Mark Clemmons, says new fires also have broken out in Ferry County and Klickitat counties.