A Washington wildfire that tore through 3,000 acres and as many as a two dozen structures in a few hours could be fed by gusty winds and lightning Monday, authorities said.
The Sleepy Hollow Fire in Wenatchee — about 140 miles east of Seattle — sparked Sunday afternoon and spread rapidly, Washington State Fire Marshall spokesman Bill Slosson said. Evacuation orders were in place for at least 80 homes in the path of the fire.
Trooper Darren Wright with the Washington State Patrol tweeted Monday there were no reports of injuries.
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The fire in the Sleepy Hollow Heights neighborhood east of Wenatchee broke out around 2:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. ET) on Sunday.
Firefighters encountered hot, dry and windy conditions fighting the fire. Dry thunderstorms were possible for the fire area on Monday morning, and a red-flag warning denoting extreme fire conditions is in effect through the day.
The Northwest has experienced a stretch of arid weather and is expected to suffer from torrid heat well into July, the Weather Channel reported, raising the specter of an earlier and more dangerous fire season.