‘Hell Storm’ Kills 3 Firefighters

Three U.S. Forest Service firefighters were killed Wednesday battling one of 15 wildfires in Washington state. “The fire was racing and the winds were blowing in every direction and then it would shift,” said Okanogan County Sheriff Frank Rogers, who called the fire a "hell storm." Tom Zbyszewski, 20, Andrew Zajac, 26, and Richard Wheeler, 31, were killed after their vehicle crashed and the fire engulfed the car before they could escape, according to authorities. As many as four other firefighters were injured. It took more than 200 firefighters and 20 aircraft—with support from Canada— to contain 20 percent of the blaze. More than 235,000 acres of the state have been burnt so far. More than 26,000 firefighters and 200 soldiers are fighting the blazes. The governor has requested President Obama declare a federal emergency.