Two wildfires burning in different parts of eastern Washington forced evacuations on Tuesday, stretching crews across the dry side of the state. One fire flared east of Spokane while another pushed toward the Oregon border in Walla Walla County. In both places, residents were told to be ready to leave or to go immediately as the flames spread.
The Spokane County fire was burning in the Camp Sekani area along Upriver Drive, where Level 3 evacuations were ordered. By Tuesday the fire had grown to around 350 acres and remained at zero percent containment, meaning crews had not yet established any control line around it. Its fast growth in hot and windy conditions made it the more urgent of the two emergencies.
The damage near Spokane was already significant. The fire had burned five homes, and it was threatening roughly 500 more, along with power lines, the water supply and other infrastructure in the area. The mix of homes and critical utilities in the fire's path raised the stakes for the firefighting effort and for the families ordered out.
By Wednesday, the toll from the Spokane fire, also referred to as the Upriver fire, had climbed sharply even as crews gained an initial foothold. The blaze had now destroyed 15 homes and was threatening some 2,300 structures, with hundreds of homes still under evacuation in eastern Washington. Crews had pushed it to about 10 percent containment, and the state Department of Natural Resources was helping fight it by providing air support.
The fire has since been linked to a possible death. Authorities said a person living within a Level 3 evacuation zone had refused to leave and could not be reached, and that crews were unable to enter the home until the fire conditions there had eased. When deputies were finally able to go inside, they found human remains, and the medical examiner has opened an investigation to determine the circumstances of the death.
Conditions on Wednesday were somewhat less punishing than the day before, with calmer winds easing the immediate threat in the Spokane area. Even so, red flag warnings remained in parts of eastern Washington, and officials warned that the wider danger had not passed. The Department of Natural Resources said that, given the current weather patterns, there was potential for wildfires across most of the state, urging homeowners to practice caution and to follow any burn restrictions in place.
Officials laid out the evacuation levels for residents trying to follow the maps. A red zone marked Level 3, the most serious stage, which means pack up and go now. A yellow zone indicated Level 2, a warning to be ready to leave at a moment's notice. The color-coded system was meant to give people a clear, fast way to understand the danger near their homes.
In Walla Walla County, the Twin Sisters Fire was burning near the Washington-Oregon border and had grown to more than 8,200 acres. Level 3 evacuations were in place for the area around Hatch Grade Road, with Level 1 evacuations along Highway 730 from Port Kelly to the Oregon border. After sitting at zero percent containment on Monday, crews made major strides and brought the fire to 65 percent contained.
The weather offered little relief. Red flag warnings remained in effect through the late evening, with relative humidity dropping as low as 19 percent and high temperatures climbing into the mid-90s. Gusty winds blowing through the afternoon, with a wind advisory posted until 11 o'clock at night, were exactly the kind of conditions that can drive a fire fast, leaving crews to battle both the flames and the elements.