U.S. troops, Canadians head to wildfires

BOISE, Idaho (CNN) -- Almost 29,000 firefighters had been deployed by Tuesday in 10 states from Florida to Washington as wildfires consume thousands of tinder-dry acres.

The firefighters will soon get some help as U.S. troops prepared to be deployed later this week to some of the worst fires in the Pacific Northwest.

"We've also called in crews from Canada, including helicopters, to go to Washington state," said National Interagency Fire Center spokesman Rob Kopack.

Firefighters on Tuesday found themselves battling 42 fires in 10 states -- California, Florida, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Wyoming and Washington -- although the major focus for the National Interagency Fire Center is on the 40 large blazes across the West.

Firefighters contained seven large fires Monday, but eight new large fires were reported across the West and one in Florida Tuesday, Kopack said. Among those new fires is the so-called North Fork fire, about 80 miles southeast of Modesto, California, that has consumed more than 2,700 acres.

VIDEO Rain and cooler weather are lifting spirits of beleaguered firefighters battling blazes in the U.S. Northwest (August 20) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) CNN's Lilian Kim reports firefighters in Washington are gaining the upper hand (August 20) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)   RESOURCES Picture Show: Images from Western wildfires

"Our focus now is on structure protection," said spokeswoman Leslie Van Meter, who noted that the fire has yet to be controlled.

Residents of several homes have been evacuated as more than 1,000 firefighters battle the blaze being fanned by strong winds.

Two homes have been destroyed by the fire, which was sparked by a man doing some welding in his backyard.

"He had taken all of the precautions beforehand," Van Meter said. "But it just goes to show you that you can't take anything for granted. It's so very dry here and we can't stress that enough."

U.S. Army soldiers began training at Fort Lewis, Washington, where they will form "Task Force Phoenix Blaze." The task force will be deployed to the Spruce Springs/Dome Complex fire -- in central Washington's Wenatchee National Park -- for further training, the report said.

Vladimir Steblina, the incident information officer for fires in the Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests, said the Spruce Springs/Dome complex would allow the task force to get ready for more serious fires.

"It's not an imminent threat ... so it's a good fire for military to start out on," Steblina said. "It's a serious fire, but it's not as serious as those in some other complex.

"It's not a 'Mickey Mouse' fire by any means... but others have more explosive conditions," he said.

After they are trained, the Army task force will replace firefighting crews that will work on more active and dangerous fires across the West, Steblina said.

Virginia Lake Complex and Rex Creek Complex fires are top priorities for fire officials in Washington.

"Both those fires are moving and active," Steblina said. "Last night, Rex [Creek] was powered by a downlink wind from Lake Chelan ... which threatened some homes in that area."

The Virginia Complex fire, situated 12 miles south of Okanogan, Washington, has scorched 71,000 acres and consumed 12 structures since it began August 12.

Okanogan County declared a state of emergency last week and fire officials evacuated residents of several neighborhoods. Firefighters have contained 30 percent of the blaze and the NIFC has estimated full containment by Monday. More than 1,200 people are devoted to fighting the fire, which has cost an estimated $3.8 million dollars so far.

Rex Creek Complex, in Wenatchee National Forest, has burned more than 43,000 acres and has yet to be contained. It has destroyed two structures and has cost a little over $500,000; more than 400 people are involved.

The Icicle Complex fire was also a threat because of its proximity to the tourist town of Leavenworth, Washington. Firefighters were able to make significant progress on the 7,275-acre blaze Monday, and evacuation orders were dropped for most of the residents.

Fire officials said the Icicle Complex did not seem to be as much of a threat as other fires burning in drier areas.

"Because there was a fire there in '94 ... there has not been enough new growth to be that flammable," NIFC fire information officer David Carnahan said. "So they are considering that to be a safety zone for firefighters and a natural break."