Omak Wildfire Destroys At Least 5 Homes, Hundreds Evacuated

At least five homes were destroyed by a wildfire that sparked in Okanogan County on Monday afternoon.

The Greenacres Fire was first reported at around 3:10 p.m. near the Omak Airport and rapidly spread in winds that were gusting as high as 50 mph.

The blaze quickly prompted Level 3 and Level 2 evacuation notices for dozens of homes on the north side of Omak, as well as the town of Riverside, and destroyed numerous outbuildings along with nearly a half-dozen residences during its swift march to the south.

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State mobilization was activated within an hour of the fire's ignition, as crews from numerous agencies responded with both ground and air resources to battle the flames, including those from the Washington Department of Natural Resources, Mt. Tolman Fire Center, and several fire districts from Okanogan, Douglas, and Chelan Counties.

Scores of utility poles were also damaged or destroyed in the fire, which caused power outages for over 3,000 people in the area.

Officials say the fire blackened as much as 683 acres before finally being brought under control late Monday night.

An Evacuation Center was set up at a local church and the Red Cross is now assisting those whose homes were lost in the blaze.

A Type 3 Incident Management Team was scheduled to take command of firefighting operations on Tuesday morning.

The cause of the fire has yet to be officially determined.