Video: Wildfire forces evacuations in Okanogan County

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OKANOGAN, Wash. - A wildfire that burned 1,500 acres near Okanogan in north-central Washington and threatened about 15 homes, a hotel and bingo casino is now under control.

Okanogan County Sheriff Frank Rogers says firefighters are mopping up Wednesday. One outbuilding burned but not one was injured.

Two lightning strikes reportedly sparked the wildfire about 7 p.m. Tuesday near the Okanogan Legion Airport on the Caldwell Indian Reservation as a thunderstorm moved through the area. Within several hours it had jumped Highway 97 and raced across 1,000 acres of sagebrush; by Wednesday morning it grew to 1,500 acres.

The Okanogan Bingo Casino and the Sun Valley Inn had been evacuated, along with more than a dozen homes.

Ron Bowen with the state fire marshal's office at Camp Murray said about 60 firefighters with engines, water tenders, bulldozers and a helicopter were sent to the scene because of the threat to property. Highway 97 was also temporarily closed in both directions about 6 miles south of Omak.

The fire also burned several transmission lines, knocking out power to hundreds of homes in Twisp, Malot, Winthrop, Carlton and other scattered areas in south Okanogan County. Power crews were working to restore electricity to residents.

The Central Washington Interagency Communications Center says there were 350 lighting strikes early this week in north central Washington, and fires could be smoldering for days.

Near Bellingham, another blaze, the Little Squirt Fire, is burning in Whatcom County.  Firefighters attacked the fast moving flames from the ground and dropped fire retardant from the air. 

"After the Fourth of July is when we normally would be worried," said Mark Kahley,who head the Resource Protection Division for the Department of Natural Resources.

Another fire to the south, near Malott in Okanogan County, has covered about 250 acres and threatens three homes. Steve Harris with the state Department of Natural Resources says fire crews are protecting those homes. That fire is believed to have been started by lightning earlier Tuesday.