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Crews continued their battle late Monday with several large fires threatening home in the Chelan area in central Washington.

The blazes have destroyed more than 50 structures, forced about 1,500 residents to flee and scorched more than 155 square miles. Scores of homes remain threatened.

Fire incident spokesman Wayne Patterson says air tankers have established lines to keep the flames from reaching downtown Chelan, a popular central Washington resort town. He says more fire crews, including from the Washington National Guard, are being mobilized.

Improved weather helped firefighters Sunday, but hot temperatures and low humidity are expected this week.

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Wildfire Washington