TWISP, Wash. — Three firefighters were killed and three or four others were injured, at least one critically, as raging wildfires advanced on towns in north-central Washington on Wednesday, authorities said.
Okanogan County Sheriff Frank Rogers said the deaths, in a wildfire near Twisp, had been confirmed, but he said he was not immediately releasing specific details about the circumstances or the victims, pending notification of their families.
“It was a hellstorm up here,” he told KXLY-TV of Spokane. “The fire was racing and the winds were blowing in every direction, and then it would shift. … It was tough on them up here.”
One firefighter had been taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle in critical condition, a nursing supervisor said.
In an e-mailed statement, the White House said President Barack Obama had been apprised of the deaths. He directed the administration to stay in touch with state and local officials and to provide federal assistance as necessary.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee requested a federal emergency declaration to provide more help to pay for fighting the many wildfires burning in the state.
“My heart breaks over the loss of life,” Inslee said in a written statement. “I know all Washington joins me and Trudi in sending our prayers to the families of these brave firefighters. They gave their lives to protect others. It was their calling, but the loss for their families is immense.”
The news came after officials urged people in the popular outdoor-recreation centers of Twisp and Wintrop, in the scenic Methow River valley about 115 miles northeast of Seattle, to evacuate.
