Firefighters found a charred body in a forest near Spokane on Monday evening while they struggled to keep winds gusting to 52 mph from flinging embers outside fire lines. It was the second fire death since Wednesday. Rain and calmer winds were expected Tuesday to help firefighters with two blazes that were 80 percent contained Monday night. About 3,000 firefighters battled the blazes. Thirty-four major fires blackened about 43,000 acres around Spokane since last week. More than 100 homes were destroyed last week.
OREGON: Light rain fell on a fire in the Oregon Cascades that grew to 9,200 acres from 8,800 on Monday. The sprinkling was little help to the 1,600 firefighters battling the blaze in the Willamette National Forest. It was 80 percent contained.COLORADO: Eighty firefighters doused hot spots Monday at the sites of two western Colorado wilderness fires that burned over more than 600 acres during the weekend. The two were expected to be brought under control today. Three other fires were brought under control Monday.
IDAHO: One death was reported in fires that blackened about 5,000 acres last week. At least four homes and several cabins were destroyed in northern Idaho.
MONTANA: About 4,000 firefighters were able to keep a dozen fires that burned about 200,000 acres within containment lines Monday despite winds gusting to 50 mph. Rain fell Monday and snow, possibly heavy, was forecast for Tuesday. Three people died and at least seven houses were destroyed in fires last week.
WYOMING: Rain was expected to help 420 firefighters battling a 7,100-acre fire in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in western Wyoming. The fire was 80 percent contained along its southern, western and eastern flanks. About 300 firefighters contained a 930-acre fire in the Big Horn National Forest on Monday.