WENATCHEE, Wash. (AP) - Surveying the smoldering ruins of his upscale home in this central Washington city, Vern Smith pointed to what had been his garage.
"You can't tell from here, but that's a brand new truck," Smith said, looking at the burned vehicle.
Smith was among those in Wenatchee searching for something to salvage after a fast-moving wildfire destroyed two dozen houses and several businesses.
The fire, which began Sunday, was the worst so far this season in as the state struggles with a severe drought. Mountain snowpack is extremely low, and about one-fifth of the state's rivers and streams are at record low levels.
On Tuesday, firefighters said they expected to make strong progress against the fire that covered approximately 4 square miles on the north side of the city. The fire was about 10 percent contained as of Tuesday morning.
"That will dramatically go up today," said Nathan Rabe, the fire incident commander, at a news briefing.
As a precaution, residents of approximately 4,000 homes in the Wenatchee area remain under orders to be prepared to evacuate immediately, officials said.
The fire destroyed 24 homes in the Broadview neighborhood. Downtown, two major fruit-packing houses and two other fruit-related businesses were heavily damaged by flames, losses that will likely total tens of millions of dollars. Wenatchee is a major center of the state's apple-growing industry.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, Rabe said.
Nearly 250 firefighters were on the scene, contending with 100-degree temperatures and breezy winds. There have been no major injuries.
The flames in the downtown core burned near BNSF railroad tracks, halting rail operations including Amtrak service through the agricultural city.
Two major fruit-packing houses and two other fruit-related businesses also were heavily damaged by flames, losses that will likely total tens of millions of dollars. Wenatchee is a major center of the state's apple-growing industry.