Nakia Creek Fire explodes amid powerful winds, forcing thousands of evacuations in Washington state

By Nouran Salahieh, CNN

Updated 12:41 PM EDT, Mon October 17, 2022

The Nakia Creek Fire burning in Washington State exploded in size Sunday, forcing thousands of evacuations.Washington State DNR WildfireCNN — 

Fueled by powerful winds and unseasonably hot temperatures, a wildfire burning in Washington state exploded to 2,000 acres Sunday, forcing thousands of evacuations.

The Nakia Creek Fire began October 9 on Larch Mountain, northeast of Camas in Clark County near the Oregon border, smoldering and creeping through steep, rocky terrain in the Yacolt Burn State Forest.

The fire grew from 156 acres to 2,000 acres in a matter of hours Sunday amid severe weather conditions, with extreme warm temperatures, low humidity and high winds, according to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.

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