<p>If you believe in prayer, please spare a minute for those in the Methow.
The Carlton Complex fire has spread to 215,000 acres and many have lost their homes & livelihoods.
Despite extra regional and even national help, its unlikely it will be able to be contained until the weather changes.
It is currently at zero containment.
Wildfires generally stay in the forest, this one seems drawn to the towns along the river.
My daughter is safe for now, but she said she saw flames when she was working this morning.
<a href=“http://www.king5.com/news/local/Howling-winds-push-massive-Washington-wildfire-267786231.html”>http://www.king5.com/news/local/Howling-winds-push-massive-Washington-wildfire-267786231.html</a>
Ive heard that this fire is the #1 national priority, I don’t know if I feel relieved or more worried!</p>
<p>I’m so sorry to hear about this. I’ve been to the Methow-- beautiful place. I hope the wind drops soon.</p>
<p>Horrible. 
</p>
<p>We were there Wednesday in Winthrop, it was so hot & dry.
They have DC-10s spraying fire retardant.
They have been able to make a little progress I heard today.
But even if all the fires were out tonight, it will be weeks before power is restored ( including pumps for wells)
And that’s assuming your home wasn’t burned to the ground.
They are going to need someplace to live while things are being rebuilt.</p>
<p>Is your daughter near there?</p>
<p>Very close. About 13 miles northwest of Winthrop.Right off of Highway 20.
That’s by the road, I haven’t looked to see how far away the fire is.</p>
<p>We need rain! Desperately. :(</p>
<p>So do we, but we got lucky big time this week…
Praying for my friends in the fire danger zone. For my sorority li’l sis, hoping all your personnel are safe and continue to be. </p>
<p>The smoke is awful. It has spread all the way into Idaho.
My prayers go out to all.</p>
<p>I heard there are particles from the Carlton Complex fire in Chicago!
Pretty wild.
Amazing photo, if it was a studio set.
<a href=“http://www.lakewenatcheeinfo.com”>http://www.lakewenatcheeinfo.com</a>
But since it wasn’t, more a picture of hell.</p>
<p>I thought Washington State tends to have more rains (at least more than Southern California’s desert-like weather except on the coast.) Or, the rain is only plentiful near the coast in NW?</p>
<p>Isn’t Washington called the evergreen state if I remember it correctly?</p>
<p>I heard that when Mt Helen errupted, the dust even got to the Portland Oregon area.</p>
<p>Northern California has almost not had any rain this year.</p>
<p>This is in Eastern Washington where is is very dry. Western Washington and particularly The Olympic Rainforest get lots of rain.</p>
<p>They have had record heat in Eastern Washington these past few weeks. It is cloudy up now and we may get some rain on the western side but I’m afraid it is just bringing winds and possibly more lightning strikes over there. We look east and have not been able to see the mountains past the foothills for 2 days.</p>
<p>Don’t tell anyone, but Seattle doesn’t deserve its wet reputation. We do have lots of grey misty days, but NYC actually has more total inches.
Too often however, the rain isn’t heavy enough to penetrate, especially in the summer.
The east side of the mts is much drier.
Thats why the Methow has such a reputation for cross country skiing. The snow is great, very light. ( several of the Olympic xcountry ski team was from the Methow valley)
It also has been bakey hot, many stream beds were dried up even before the fires.</p>
<p>mcat, our summer rains in the Cascade foothills are usually thunderstorms. The areas that are burning now dry out so that it does not take much to start a fire. So sad! EK - that picture is frightening.</p>
<p>Thanks for the explanation, BunsenBurner.</p>
<p>I looked up the map and found that the area seems to be to the north of Cashmere - the small town where a company (Liberty Orchards?) which sells the delicious jellied fruit candies called Aplets and Cotlets. I think I first found the special northwest candies from Fred Meyer, the popular grocery store chain in NW (or from a store at a mall? I forgot). But later I found I could mail-order it. This was before they sold the candies at several national chain retail stores and relied more on mail-orders for their business. (maybe even at Target and Costco now?)</p>
<p>This brings back my sweet memory. (I think I was not much older than my S’s current age and S was not born yet back then.) But I have never had a chance to visit Cashmere.</p>
<p>Ek, I have loved ones in the Puget Sound area, so not directly impacted but they are concerned. Praying for them and your D and everyone at risk.</p>
<p>mcat, when Mt. St. Helens blew, the ash went East. Spokane especially was buried in it. The jet stream carried it around the world, and returned it to Seattle where I was living (and Portland too, I’m sure). A week after the eruption, I found a fine layer of what appeared to be dust on my car. I realized later that it was from what remained of the ash cloud. </p>
<p>Hoping for rain and help from other states to combat the fires. The scope is beyond my comprehension. The largest fires I’ve been near were measured in hundreds of acres, not thousands. </p>
<p>It is pretty incomprehensible.
In the winter, highway 20 is closed and we drive through Pateros and Twisp and the other small towns that have been affected the most, to get to the upper Methow.
We always stop in the Anjou bakery in Cashmere, although the one in Winthrop is pretty great too.
I had forgotten about Aplets & Cotlets, until I saw them at the store yesterday. They used to be sold all over, and I liked them better than chocolate!</p>
<p>It rained in Seattle last night, hoping it moves north.
Focusing on that despite the intensity and size of the fire, no one has been hurt ( although pets & livestock have been killed, and some have sustained minor burns. There also may be a couple missing in the hills)
<a href=“Evacuee on Carlton Complex fires: 'This fire is blowing my mind'”>Evacuee on Carlton Complex fires: 'This fire is blowing my mind';
<p>It rained here last night pretty hard, but I have not yet seen anything in the news whether it rained up there or not and if the rain did anything to help to contain that terrible fire. </p>
<p>EK, hope your little one stays safe. </p>