WASHINGTON — The military is sending in reinforcement for the battle against wildfires that are burning across the West.
Late Monday, the Pentagon said it will provide 200 active duty soldiers to help with a fire in Washington State. Fires are burning in seven states.
In California alone, the fires are destroying a 1,000 acres an hour. Extreme heat is making the battle all the more difficult.
Six wildfires are surrounding the city of Chelan in Washington State. Three dozen homes were destroyed and 2,700 people were forced to flee.
Flames still burn inside one of many homes lost in the lakeside community. And for the residents who live there, the loss is immeasurable.
“It was pretty scary, I’ve never seen a fire storm like this travel so fast,”said Reggie Collins the CEO of the Chelan Fruit Company.
Collins escaped the flames, but his business did not. He estimates his losses at $80 million. His sister Carmen’s home burned to the ground. He barely made it out.
“Unfortunately for my sister, this is a terrible, terrible loss,” said Collins.
In California, 13,000 firefighters are battling 19 active fires.
Near Los Angeles crews battles triple digit heat as they tried to contain five separate wildfires that jumped roads and brought down power lines.
“We had those real dry fuels so we’d just get the simplest gusts of wind,” said Chris Reade of Los Angeles County Fire. “And it would carry those embers across the road and start another area.”
Washington Fire Spokesman Wayne Patterson says crews in the West are calling for reinforcements from across the country.
“Crews are starting to get stretched very thin,” he said. “As fast as they can get down, get a couple days of rest they are back up and going again.”