Wildfire near Mount Rainier grows to 24 square miles

YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) - A wildfire burning northeast of Mount Rainier National Park has grown to over 15,000 acres and led to the closure of State Highway 410.

The fire in rugged wilderness terrain in the Cascade Range south of Ellensburg was only about 8% contained on Friday, and was being attacked by 385 firefighters.

Helicopters were dropping water to slow the progress of the flames. Firefighters also lit backfires along the Highway 410 corridor to remove fuel.

Fire managers said the highway will not open Friday.

Managers say extreme hot and dry conditions forecast for this weekend create a significant potential for the fire to grow.