Firefighting, debris will continue to block SR 291

A brush fire near the Spokane/Stevens county line is blocking state Route 291 for the Wednesday morning commute. The fire, six miles northwest of Spokane, started Tuesday afternoon about 2:45. All lanes were blocked for firefighting efforts and because of falling debris on the steep terrain. Tuesday evening, a spokesman for the Washington Department of Transportation announced that the road would be closed at least through Wednesday morning and urged commuters to seek alternate routes.