Local News

John Shea leans into a gate, exhausted, as the wildfire consumes the grounds around a friend’s ranch in August, near Cle Elum. (Photo by Jordan Stead / The Seattle Times) UPDATE: 11:20 a.m. | Construction workers who likely caused the Taylor Bridge Fire in August were working with a power saw and welding equipment at a…

Associated Press Full containment of a wildfire that has destroyed dozens of homes in central Washington has been pushed back to next week. Fire management spokesman Glenn Kohler said Thursday that firefighters working to establish a strong containment line around the last stubborn area on the north side of the Taylor Bridge fire are dealing with rugged…

Fire fighters tackling the Taylor Bridge fire near Cle Elum  hope to fully contain the 23,252-acre blaze by Monday if the weather continues to cooperate. Crews working overnight held fire lines on the fire’s northwest perimeter, said Jessica Payne, spokesman for the Taylor Bridge Fire Information Center. A mandatory evacuation notice, imposed on Saturday, remains in effect…

Weather:  Much cooler today than the last week, with lower highs than normal. Expect temperatures in the lows 60s to low 70s. This cooler weather should stick around through midweek when we might even see some showers. The National Weather Service forecast. Traffic: No major accidents or closures to report at…

Weather:  Starting to cool down today, with the high around 80 degrees. Tomorrow should be in the lower to mid-70s. If you look way off into the long-term forecast, we could get some rain again next weekend. The National Weather Service forecast is here. Traffic: The highways look wide open this morning. The Mariners play…

Firefighters battling the Taylor Bridge wildfire discovered a spot fire on Friday afternoon after flames leaped over a fire line. It was the first time the line had been compromised since Tuesday.   The 10-acre spot fire crossed the line near Emerick Road on the fire’s northern boundary.   Firefighters discovered it about 1 p.m., and five helicopters are…

 CLE ELLUM (AP) — Many of the residents who fled their homes in the Taylor Bridge wildfire are being allowed back into the evacuation area this morning,  not knowing what they’ll find.  “Some people will find their homes there and others will find homes damaged or even lost,” said Mick Mueller, a spokesman at the fire command center. “It’s…

The Associated Press YAKIMA  – Fire crews are making progress in fighting a stubborn central Washington wildfire that has burned dozens of homes and forced hundreds of people to evacuate. Fire spokesman Mark Grassel said the Taylor Bridge wildfire was 33 percent contained by late Thursday — up from 25 percent — and no homes have…

Firefighters working the 22,000-acre Taylor Bridge fire in Central Washington were “cautiously optimistic” as they faced another hot day trying to contain the fire. “They had a really good night on the fire,” said Mark Grassel, a spokesman on the fire scene. About 50 people were evacuated from the Lauderdale and Riverview neighborhoods at about 7 p.m….

Fire officials have ordered residents of Lauderdale Junction to evacuate because of the Taylor Bridge wildfire near Highway 97 and State Route 970. The fire has burned 22,600 acres so far and is 25 percent contained, according to Glenn Kohler, a spokesman for the Washington Incident Management Team 2. Firefighters are about five to seven days away from fully…