By Sharon Bernstein
(Reuters) -Cooler weather overnight helped firefighters in Washington state shrink a wildfire burning in a forested area about 20 miles (32 km) east of Vancouver, Washington, officials said on Monday.
The Nakia Creek Fire in Clark County exploded on Sunday to about 2,000 acres, but by Monday morning was down to 1,565 acres and 20% contained, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources said on the Inciweb fire tracking site.
Dozens of wildfires have plagued Western U.S. states in recent years, as climate change exacerbates drought patterns. This is turn has dried out trees and other plants to make fuel as warm temperatures and high winds provide dangerous conditions for fires to grow.
About 3,000 households were evacuated from the area near several trail heads in the Yacolt Burn State Forest near Camas, along with prisoners at the Larch Mountain Corrections Center in Yacolt, Washington.
Smoke is heavy in nearby communities, but officials said it was coming from about ten fires burning from the Canadian border to the Columbia River, including five new blazes that broke out on Sunday.
In an update on Monday morning, the Clark Regional Emergency Services agency said the weather was expected to remain favorable to firefighters, but that it was still unclear how much progress would be made.
By midday, the temperature in the area was 64 degrees Fahrenheit (18 C), with little wind and humidity of 76%, the National Weather Service said. Haze and smoke were predicted throughout the day, followed by patchy fog and areas of smoke on Monday night.
The Nakia Creek fire was caused by humans, the Inciweb site said, and the Clark County Fire Marshall is investigating.