New wildfire threatening homes in Washington

A wildfire in central Washington state has burned thousands of acres near the town of Ellensburg, firefighters in Kittitas County said. Kittitas County Fire and Rescue spokeswoman Richelle Risdon told KIRO-TV, Seattle, that the Taylor Bridge fire had already consumed dozens of structures since it started near Cle Ellum. Depending on how much progress firefighters are able to make, weather conditions Tuesday could be especially difficult, officials said. The National Weather Service predicted winds of 13-to-17 mph in the Kittitas Valley. Monday evening the fire was 12 miles long and jumped U.S. Highway 97, forcing the state transportation department to close the highway between Milepost 147 and Milepost 149. More than 150 firefighters from across the region were fighting the blaze with additional workers expected to arrive on Tuesday, the Yakima Herald-Tribune reported. Three helicopters and two fixed-wing airplanes were dropping fire retardant. Ellensburg, located just east of the Cascade mountain range on Interstate 90, is the most centrally located city in Washington state.