Wind-driven fire tears through Eastern WA community

Crews battling multiple wildfires across Washington

Several wildfires have burned hundreds of acres across Yakima County, and another recently broke out near Darrington.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Wash. - Three homes burned down after a wind-driven fire tore through an Eastern Washington neighborhood on Sunday.

According to the Orondo Fire Department (OFD), a fire was reported at 5 p.m. in the Sun Cove community in Orondo. Orondo is an unincorporated Douglas County community that sits along the Columbia River about 17 miles north of Wenatchee.

Photo: Orondo Fire Department

Residents reported smelling smoke and finding a fire burning underneath their motorhome.

30 mph winds quickly pushed the fire toward a shed, fence and nearby trailer home.

Firefighters responded in a matter of minutes, but when they arrived, the fire had completely engulfed three homes and had spread to a fourth.

Crews quickly knocked down the flames on the fourth home and then turned their attention to the three other homes that had been deemed a total loss.

Photo: Orondo Fire Department

No injuries were reported, but crews fear that two cats who lived in one of the homes may have been lost in the fire.

According to the OFD, this blaze sparked while firefighters were already extinguishing two other nearby fires: one, a three-alarm fire near Wenatchee, and the other, a motorhome fire in Chelan. The region was under a fire weather watch during this time.

Authorities say the fires were adequately staffed because of a mutual aid agreement between all the fire departments in Chelan and Douglas Counties.

Several years ago, the Sun Cove community installed a water tank and fire hydrants. These water tanks helped firefighters prevent the fire from spreading to other nearby homes. The OFD says homeowners and communities are encouraged to install hydrants and water supply to help firefighters and reduce insurance rates.