Washington wildfire 30 % contained

The Monastery fire, which has destroyed at least 24 homes in Washington state, was 30 percent confirmed, officials said. The fire has burned at least 4,250 acres northeast of Goldendale and had led to the evacuation of 200 homes, but the evacuation area has been reduced by about 75 percent, the Yakima (Wash.) Herald-Republic reported Monday. A trail had been cut around the entire fire, officials said Sunday. Fire officials were trying to determine the number of homes destroyed in an area that was among the first to be closed when the blaze started spreading southeast Sept. 7. Most of the destroyed or damaged homes were inside an area that remained closed.