Our relatives are scattered up and down the Okanogan River from Brewster Flats to Riverside. Three of their homes burned to the ground in last years Carlton Complex fire. They moved into their rebuild homes about two months ago, and last night, with fire in sight, they were loaded and ready to evacuate again. Homes that had been declared "safe" and ready to accept evacuees, were being threatened by wildfire. We've been in phone and email contact with our eastern WA relatives all day. It seems no one over there, rural or city resident, is truly safe. The images we're seeing of the fires and their destruction in North Central WA are scenes of Hell on Earth. Can't see how the present conditions will change until they get significant rain; that will bring another round of problems with flash flooding, debris flows and road washouts.

One of the surviving firefighters in the incident you mentioned was a family friend. We only heard part of his story today, but it was harrowing. Hope there is no more loss of life because of these wildfires.