'Red Apple Fire' in Washington 50% contained

Washington, July 18
The Red Apple Fire currently raging near Wenatchee in the US state of Washington has so far scorched 11,000 acres of land and was about 50 per cent contained, officials said.

On Saturday, the Chelan County Sheriff downgraded most of the approximately 1,500 evacuation orders, reports Xinhua news agency.

Some homes and structures remain at risk, according to a report by The Seattle Times.

About 300 people are fighting the fire, and a national incident management team arrived on Friday to assist.

Investigators from the Chelan County Sheriff's Office said the fire was human-caused.

Last week, they had identified the house where they believed the fire began.