Wenatchee Wildfire & West Nile
Wenatchee Wildfire & West Nile. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report.
A wildfire in north central Washington state has claimed nearly 30 homes. The fast moving wildfire is being fueled by strong winds, high temperatures and a lack of moisture. The fire also destroyed a cardboard recycling facility. Residents have been evacuated from several areas. Vicky Scharlau talks about the evacuations.
SCHARLAU: We went from a Level 2 evacuation to a Level 3 evacuation within an hour and a half but once we were in Level 3 from that point to the point where the fire was right behind us, it happened so fast. People are wondering why we chose not to evacuate, we didn't choose not to evacuate, we didn't have the chance to evacuate because it had already gone by us.
Once again, West Nile virus has popped up in both Idaho and Washington. Mosquitoes in a trap have tested positive for West Nile in Idaho's Canyon County. Authorities are using ultra low volume "fogging" in Parma, Notus and the surrounding area. West Nile was also detected in Yakima County in Washington. Horse owners are urged to makes sure your equine have the correct vaccinations and people should also take proper precautions to avoid being bitten. Warmer weather and recent drought conditions are ideal for high mosquito numbers.
That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network of the West.
