Wildfires continue to cause problems on the west coast with the Colockum Tarps fire in central Washington now 25 percent contained but still burning.
The fire has burned over nearly 72,000 acres and has destroyed numerous homes and buildings Kittitas and Chelan counties in Washington. About 70 residents of the counties have been evacuated and sent to stay in a shelter that was established in Ellensburg for evacuated residents.
According to Q13FOX nearly 535 firefighters are still fighting the blaze while 75 structures are still closely threatened by it. A state of emergency has been put into effect in Kittitas County.
As of Thursday, firefighters are focusing on containing the Southwest section of the fire because it is burning dangerously close to the homes and buildings of another county, Park Creek.
Firefighters are watching closely as the region is also under the threat of weather worsening the fire. Kittitas County is under a thunderstorm watch with a possibility of dry lightning and unpredictable winds, which could cause the fire to spread.
NBC reports that The Department of Natural Resources has put a burn ban in effect across the state, which aims to protect all applicable forestlands in the state from a fire like this one happening again.