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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Leahy fire destroys three homes

Three homes and nine outbuildings have been destroyed by fires still threatening the Grand Coulee area, about 80 miles west of Spokane. Karen Ripley, spokeswoman for the Interagency Incident Management Team, said no one has been injured by the two wildfires—Barker Canyon and Leahy—that make up the Barker Canyon Complex. She said she did not know the exact locations of the buildings and homes destroyed or who owns them but said they were lost in the 60,800-acre Leahy Fire. The Barker Canyon fire also damaged two power switching stations for the Coulee Dam, Ripley said, but power was not interrupted. “It had the potential for being a very serious event,” Ripley said. Damage estimates were not yet available this morning. Level two evacuations remain in effect for residents near State Route 174, although the highway has been reopened from the junction with State Route 17 to Grand Coulee.