Associated Press
NESPELEM — Several wildfires are burning in north central Washington state, prompting an evacuation order for the town of Nespelem on the Colville Indian Reservation.
The state Department of Natural Resources said there were power outages in the area and phone lines are down, KREM-TV reported.
Okanogan County Emergency Management said Nespelem, Buffalo Lake, Cache Creek and surrounding areas are under mandatory evacuation notices. State Route 155 is open for people to get out. Officials do not want people to wait for door to door notifications, KXLY-TV reported.
As of Tuesday morning, seven structures, including three homes, were lost. Seven outbuildings were also lost, KXLY-TV reported. There is no estimate on the number of acres burned by the fires, which may have been caused by lightning strikes in the area Monday night.
A shelter is being set up by the Red Cross at the Grand Coulee Elementary School gym.
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