Firefighters Battling Big Flames Over Thousands Of Miles In State

SPOKANE (AP) — The numerous wildfires big and small burning in Washington state now cover about 1,144 square miles of land.

That's according to the state Department of Natural Resources.

That means an area nearly the size of the state of Rhode Island, which covers 1,200 square miles, was burning in Washington on Wednesday.

The fires are located in many areas of the state, but the majority of the big ones are in northeastern Washington, from Okanogan County east to Pend Oreille County.

The biggest fire is the Okanogan Complex, which at nearly 438 square miles as of Wednesday is the largest in state history. Three firefighters have died fighting that blaze.