Wildfire forces evacuations at Washington state tourism spot
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Officials say a wildfire has prompted evacuation orders for 168 homes and cabins at a popular Washington state and hiking and skiing destination.
The fire was burning on about 40 acres (161,900 square meters) Wednesday morning.
It started about 3 miles north (4.8 kilometers) of the tourist town of Leavenworth Tuesday in an old mill and spread to a timber storage area for enormous cedar logs.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Deputy State Fire Marshal Melissa Gannie says the fire is threatening homes, timber and electrical infrastructure away from the downtown area, modeled in Bavarian village style.
Leavenworth is a gateway to Wenatchee National Forest where many people have getaway homes.
Northwest Incident Management Team spokesman Brendan Cowan said Wednesday that there were no reports of injuries.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Red Cross opened a shelter in Leavenworth.