Fire In Wenatchee Backyard Quickly Put Out After Robust Response

There's no damage to a home after a robust response to a fire Tuesday morning in the 1500 block of Apollo Place in Wenatchee.

"Seven (fire) engines responded into that area, based on that it was given as a structure fire," said Wenatchee Valley Fire Department spokesperson Kay McKellar.

Crews found the fire burning arborvitae bushes in the backyard of the home and were able to put it out in under 10 minutes.

The fire was reported at 9:07 am.

There was damage to some yard items, but the fire never reached the two-story house.

There were also no injuries reported. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

McKellar said arborvitae bushes can be a fire hazard. "It's got a lot of oil in it," McKellar said. "It will ignite pretty fast. Sometimes people don't water it properly, and so it has a tendency that it will ignite if there's the right fire ignition source."

Counties with the worst droughts in Washington

Washington State is continuing its drought emergency into 2024, citing low snowpack and hot, dry forecasts. Here are the counties most affected by drought, based on data from the U.S. Drought Monitor to identify the counties in Washington with the worst droughts in the week leading up to April 30, 2024.

Note: "Abnormally dry" is not considered to be a drought, but is included as a separate data point.

Gallery Credit: Jaime Skelton