The state Department of Natural Resources says 450 firefighters are being brought into the Okanogan Valley today to battle a lightning sparked fire that has devoured at least 7,500 acres.
That would mean a total of about 550 firefighters at the scene.
DNR spokesman Nick Mickel says the acreage estimate is based on a flyover last night, when smoke was so thick it obscured part of the blaze.
He says 60 to 200 homes were evacuated last night as the fire threatened homes. At least six were destroyed.
Mickel says the spread of the fire has slowed significantly today, but containment is a long way off.
In his words, quote, ``We don't have an accurate map of the fire yet, it spread so rapidly last night.'' He says firefighters are ``out there trying to find out where it is.''
The terrain is steep and smoke is complicating the fire crews' task.
Mickel says, ``There are lots of rock cliffs and rattlesnakes.'' He says firefighters ``all have good boots.''
