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Governor visits Wash. fires

Washington state governor Jay Inslee visited an incident command centre in Spokane on Tuesday as several destructive fires burned across eastern Washington.

Inslee blamed dry conditions and climate change for the increased fire danger in the state.

He encouraged people to remove brush and other accelerants from areas around their homes to aid fire suppression efforts.

Wildfires in the Spokane area have burned more than a dozen homes and forced evacuations.

Meanwhile, a wildfire on California's central coast grew to nearly 58 square miles Tuesday.

At least 2,400 people remained under evacuation orders in San Luis Obispo and Monterey counties, where the stubborn blaze had destroyed at least 36 residences.

Hearst Castle, the palatial ocean-view estate popular among tourists, remained closed because of its proximity to the flames.

Meanwhile, a fire in mountain areas east of Los Angeles that burned more than 100 homes was 100 per cent contained after charring nearly 57 square miles of drought-stricken brush. Investigators were seeking the cause of the blaze that broke out a week ago.

Just north of Big Sur, California's largest fire grew held steady at 135 square miles in rugged wilderness coast along Highway 1.

More than 400 homes remained threatened by the fire.

In Idaho, a wildfire expanded to 150 square miles and residents of about 125 homes in the area remained under low-level evacuation notices.

The fire burning timber in remote, mountainous backcountry was 50 per cent contained and was expected to burn at least until the end of September.



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