The Woodworkers Department would like to take a moment to recognize the thousands of men and women battling the wildfires burning throughout the Northwest.
The Carlton Complex Fire, the largest in Washington State, started July 14 after a lighting weather system moved through the dry Methow Valley. The fires have burned around 215,000 acres of dry grass, brush, timber and at least 100 homes, decimating the small town of Peteros Washington.
More challenging days are ahead for fire crews, as a number of evacuations are being ordered as the fire began to race toward the small Eastern Washington towns. Gov. Jay Inslee and other high-ranking state officials toured the area, ordering more than 100 National Guard troops into assistance; the first time the guard has been pulled to help fight fires since 1994.
About 2,000 firefighters are on the ground as 12 helicopters from DNR and the National Guard fight the flames from above. An unknown number of people remain evacuated, as many of the towns remain under evacuations orders.
As The Carlton Complex Fire and others are burning in the Region we hope for the safety and health of the thousands of men and women battling these fierce fires. Thankfully there have been no fatalities reported as many times lives are lost in these catastrophic events.