Wildfire charge across western state,

Wildfires raging in Washington, Idaho, Oregon and California have officials in the drought-plagued Western states struggling to contain the flames that have forced thousands from their homes and led to the deaths of three firefighters. In northern Washington, officials are hoping a break in the weather will allow firefighters to gain control of a series of wildfires in the northern part of the state that have left three firefighters dead and injured several others. ADVERTISEMENT The Washington State Department of Health said that should nearby wildfires reach the site of a now-defunct uranium mine in Stevens County in eastern Washington, the smoke won't be any more toxic than the standard smoke from a wildfire. In an announcement, the department said that radioactive materials at the Midnight Mine, which is about three miles northwest of Wellpinit on the Spokane Reservation, "won't exacerbate the dangers of wildfire smoke if the fires overtake the site as the naturally occurring radioactive material stays in its original rock form and does not burn." Nevertheless, the department said, people in the area should take the same precautions as they would with any other kind of smoky air. "People are encouraged to remain indoors to avoid breathing smoky air, which can cause coughing, chest pain and shortness of breath in healthy people," the announcement said. Three firefighters — Tom Zbyszewski, Richard Wheeler and Andrew Zajac — died Wednesday when flames consumed their crashed vehicle as they tried to escape the fire. Another firefighter remains in critical condition with burns over 60 percent of his body. Related Image GLOW823.jpgExpand / Contract In this Aug. 3, 2015, file photo, CalFire Firefighter Bo Santiago lights a backfire as the Rocky fire burns near Clearlake, Calif. (AP Photo) The crews fighting the massive Okanogan Complex wildfires are under such tremendous pressure that fire officials are training volunteers with heavy equipment to help extinguish the giant fires that currently cover 355 square miles. It is the first time in state history that residents are being asked to help operate backhoes and bulldozers to dig fire lines, KING-TV reported. Thousands of area residents remain under evacuation orders, while some were escorted back to their homes Saturday, according to officials cited the station. "If people want to help, we'd like them to contact our coordinators so we can work on getting them safely and appropriately involved," said Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark. "We appreciate all offers of qualified and trained support. Safety for everyone is our highest priority,” the Washington Department of Natural Resources said in a statement. The massive cloud of smoke began to lift over Washington wildfires by Sunday afternoon. But as air quality improves, the fire's behavior could become more erratic and intense, fire officials said. "It's like a flue opening in a fireplace," said Suzanne Flory, spokeswoman for the U.S. Forest Service and the Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team. "Smoke serves as a cap on the fire." The Okanogan Complex of wildfires was measured at 374 square miles Sunday morning, after growing more than 100 miles larger Saturday in what fire officials said was a relatively calm fire day. Once the smoke lifts, humidity drops, heat rises and fires can flare up. Flory said they would not know until Sunday night or early Monday how much the fire had grown on Sunday, but as of late afternoon, fire activity had been relatively quiet. Visibility and air quality improved Sunday. The complex of fires was estimated to be about 10 percent contained as of Sunday morning, fire spokesman Dan Omdal said. Containment does not mean the fire has stopped burning. It means it has run out of fuel to burn in that area, either because it has hit a man-made fire line, a drop from airplanes of fire retardant, a road or a lake. Some of the land within the fire lines is still burning, but other sections have burned out. "We call it a wildfire, but much of the fire has been tamed," Omdal said.