The Latest: Bodies of 3 firefighters removed from scene

The bodies of three firefighters killed battling a blaze in Washington state have been removed from the scene by a procession of emergency vehicles.

Each man was taken out Thursday afternoon in an individual ambulance, escorted by more than a dozen fire and police vehicles with lights flashing.

Whitman College President Kathleen Murray says one of three firefighters who died fighting a fire in Twisp, Washington, was a student at the school.

In addition to his love of theater, the school says he also had a passion for the Chinese language.

At a Thursday news conference with fire officials in central Washington, Inslee praised the courage of the 3,000 firefighters battling wildfires in the state.

Fire officials warned that winds topping 40 miles per hour would complicate efforts Thursday and that the blazes would almost certainly spread.

Authorities say three firefighters killed and four injured were overrun by flames as they battled blazes in the same area of Washington state.

Three firefighters were killed Wednesday and three others injured as crews fought raging wildfires advancing on towns in the north-central part of the state, some of the many blazes burning uncontrolled throughout the arid West.