A wildfire fueled by high temperatures and strong winds roared into a Wenatchee-area neighborhood and commercial district, forcing more than a thousand people to flee, destroying at least 24 homes and gutting two wholesale businesses, authorities said early Monday. The 3,000-acre blaze sparked Sunday afternoon was destroying everything in its path and was still burning out of control the next morning, said Rich Magnussen, a spokesman for the Chelan County Emergency Management office.
- PUB DATE: 6/29/2015 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KOMO News

Sunday is the first day to buy holiday fireworks across the state. But firefighters say to think twice before rushing to the stands. Fireworks are banned or restricted in most of our area. An extremely dry season partnered with record-breaking heat make this a very dangerous year for the explosives.
- PUB DATE: 6/28/2015 9:38:03 PM - SOURCE: KIMA-TV CBS 29 Yakima

Two tourists from Ohio have been treated and discharged from Olympic Medical Center after their minivan plunged 25 feet off Hurricane Ridge Road near the summit and overturned 1½ times. The wreck, which was at about 4:51 p.m. Friday, was about 3 miles below Hurricane Ridge near the Switchback trailhead, said Barb Maynes, Olympic National Park spokeswoman, on Saturday.
- PUB DATE: 6/28/2015 12:43:41 AM - SOURCE: Port Angeles Peninsula Daily News

The Shell Station in Elma was evacuated for a short time Thursday afternoon after a car caught fire near the station’s gas pumps. No one was injured during the fire, said Elma Fire Battalion Chief Tyson Boling. Boling said the car was in flamesat the South Third Street gas station when Elma Fire responded around noon.
- PUB DATE: 6/26/2015 9:00:24 AM - SOURCE: The Daily World

Governor Inslee is deeply saddened by the death of Elson Floyd, president of Washington State University, and directs that Washington State and United States flags at all state agency facilities be lowered to half-staff in his memory on Saturday, June 27, 2015. Elson Floyd, 59, died on June 20 after suffering from complications due to colon cancer.

The Governor’s Office has no objection to agencies lowering the flags at the close of business on Friday, June 26, 2015. Flags should remain at half-staff until close of business or sunset on Saturday, June 27 or first thing Monday morning, June 29, 2015...