Fires Light Up Across Spokane County

SPOKANE – A fast-moving wildfire in Spokane Valley has forced evacuations and damaged a half-dozen homes as the worst wildfire to hit within the city limits since Firestorm has hit Spokane County.

While the focus earlier in the day was the Spokane Fire Department’s efforts to battle a three-alarm building fire at Ugly Duck Liquidators other departments were being called out nearly continuously since 1 p.m. to fires all across the county. The worst was the fire in Dishman Hills which has damaged homes and forced evacuations.

Spokane Valley crews are battling the fast-moving brush fire at Eastern Road and Moreland Drive in southwest Spokane Valley on the west side of the Dishman Hills.

The fire, which is being fanned by high winds, has destroyed at least one structure and is threatening homes as it moves northeast in the direction of a large housing development. The fire has forced mandatory evacuations of homes and multiple homes have been damaged as the fire roars out of control.

The area where homes have been evacuated includes all residences south of 18th and east of Park in the vicinity of Dishman Hills. The fire continues to move through steep terrain and into the residential areas.

The Department of Natural Resources was going to bring in a tanker aircraft to provide an aerial attack on the fire lines however that aircraft was called off due to high winds in the area.

Just before 5 p.m. crews were being dispatched to a half acre brush fire at Altamont and Bruce a block north of Francis. The fire is an empty lot but there are buildings in the vicinity.

A brush fire that grew to approximately four acres on SR 291 and Jergens road near Suncrest has been fully contained. 

Initially the fire started on state property near the Spokane Rifle Club but extended onto other property in the vicinity. No buildings were destroyed.

Stevens County fire crews have been fighting windy conditions and steep terrain but had the fire completely contained by late Thursday afternoon. They will be mopping up the fire through Friday morning.

Fire crews have contained a one acre fire north of Cheney near Al Ogdon Way and Simpson Parkway. 

The Cheney fire threatened some apartments at one point but crews were able to quickly stop the blaze from advancing. Cheney Fire Department and Fire District #3 were the responding agencies on that fire.

Wind knocked a tree down on a power line causing a brush fire in Deer Park. 

Deer Park fire crews had that fire contained at one acre but strong winds kicked up and pushed it into a barn full of hay. Pat Humphries with Fire District #4 says the wind grabbed the small fire at Westmoreland and Division near Deer Park and pushed it into the barn. 

The barn was burning as of 4 p.m. and crews are fighting to keep the blaze from spreading any further. By 5 p.m. fire crews had stopped the fire in some trees near the barn and were in the process of knocking down the fire.

Crews have taken a defensive stance and are letting the barn burn down.