Lance Tormey

A special press conference is scheduled for 11:00 am Wednesday in Union Gap.

Officials at Yakima Valley Tourism say the two-day "familiarization tour" aims to highlight Yakima's diverse landscapes.

On Thursday morning the California Complex Incident Management Team 14 took command of the fire.

So far Firefighters say the fire has grown from 29,499 acres on Tuesday to 29,502 today. Containment is also increasing now at 18%.

Now ALL outdoor burning is banned that's according to the Yakima County Fire Chiefs Association and the the Yakima County Fire Marshal.

The American Red Cross has opened an Emergency Shelter at Naches Valley High School at 101 West 5th Avenue.

The blaze was reported at about 4:00 pm Tuesday 13 miles west of Naches at Highway 12 and Rainbow Rock Lane.

Shortly after the fire started Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste authorized the mobilization of state firefighting resources.

A press release says this season Chukar Cherries will end up processing more than a half a million pounds of Washington cherries for use in "tree-to-table cherry gifts and treats."

The American Red Cross has opened a evacuation center located at the Union Gap School at 3201 South 4th Street in Union Gap.