Cooler temperatures help firefighters control Nakia Creek Fire

Oct. 19 (UPI) -- Cooler temperatures and increased humidity are helping firefighters contain the Nakia Creek Fire burning across nearly 1,800 acres in the area of the Larch Mountains in Clark County, Wash., according to the Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency.

Low humidity and record heat in the Pacific Northwest contributed to the spread of the wildfire, which grew from 156 acres on Sunday morning to around 2,000 acres by 8:30 p.m. Portland and Vancouver both recorded daily temperature records of 86 degrees on Sunday.

Despite more favorable weather conditions CRESA has emphasized that the evacuation orders issued on Monday remain in place.

The blaze prompted CRESA to issue evacuation warnings on Monday for thousands of Clark County residents living in areas designated as high risk.

The agency announced on Tuesday that "140 additional resources" were arriving and that "four Type 1 helicopters, three Type 2 helicopters, two CL415 water scooper planes and an air attack platform" were assigned to help fight the fire.

The Washington Department of Ecology shared data on the Environmental Protection Agency's airnow.gov website rating the air quality in Vancouver, Wash., as "very unhealthy" as a result of the ongoing fire.

On Monday the Clark County Fire Marshal's Office released images of what they believe is likely a blue or lightly colored Subaru filmed near the location of the fire on Oct. 9 at around 3:30 p.m.

Witnesses indicated that two men and two women appeared to be linked to the vehicles and authorities are asking for help identifying them.