A wildfire burning in dry grasslands in a lowly populated part of central Washington state grew dramatically on Thursday, driven by hot weather and gusty winds. The fire burning northwest of the town of Quincy increased in size from 16 square miles (41 square kilometers) on Wednesday to 74 square miles (192 square kilometers) on Thursday, the state Department of Natural Resources said.
- PUB DATE: 6/29/2017 11:00:45 AM - SOURCE: KOMO-TV ABC 4 and Radio 1000

Fire crews are spending hours on the lines trying to put the South Wenas Fire out. Many of these firefighters were teenagers when they began their careers. Reporter Veronica Padilla met Richard Elliott, who has been fighting wildfires since he was just 19 years old. "It's just different every day," he said.
- PUB DATE: 6/29/2017 3:38:03 AM - SOURCE: NBCRightNow.com

Firefighters can easily see light passing through the cracks in the exterior of their old fire station. When it rains the roof drips water onto the floors, and if an earthquake ever hit, they aren’t sure if the tired building could withstand the rumbling. The old fire station at 100 Davidson Ave. hasn’t seen any major remodels or upgrades since it was built in the late 1970s.
- PUB DATE: 6/29/2017 2:15:45 AM - SOURCE: Longview Daily News

A 10-acre wildfire that started Wednesday afternoon on Interstate 90 westbound near Elk Heights Road is contained and controlled. The Thorp Prairie fire started at 3:37 p.m. at milepost 95. It was burning in grass and brush, according to Kittitas Valley Fire Department Deputy Chief Rich Elliott. Every available fire district in the county responded to the fire with about five fire engines and 60 firefighters.
- PUB DATE: 6/29/2017 1:52:57 AM - SOURCE: Ellensburg Daily Record

The Houston Firefighters Union is suing the City of Houston as their dispute over a new contract drags on. Hundreds of frustrated firefighters also rallied outside City Hall on Wednesday. The lawsuit accuses the city of breaking a state law that directs cities to pay firefighters on par with what they’d make at a similar private sector job.
- PUB DATE: 6/29/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KHOU-TV CBS 11 Houston