In brief: Carpenter Road fire jumps line

A fire burning across about 46,000 acres of Stevens County has jumped a containment line along the Springdale-Hunters Road near Adams Mountain and led to fears it could reach more homes.

At least 17 houses have been burned by the Carpenter Road fire since lightning ignited it Aug. 14. On Thursday the fire raged again to the north and sent huge clouds of smoke into the air as it chewed up and down slopes.

Firefighters have mostly stopped the eastward spread of the fire, but winds have pushed the flames north into rugged country full of brush and scattered timber east of the small communities of Hunters and Fruitland.

More than 500 firefighters are assigned to the blaze about 35 miles northwest of Spokane. High winds forecasted for today and Saturday could lead to significant growth of the fire.

Republicans vie for 9th District

OLYMPIA – The special election to fill a 9th District legislative seat will pit Republican against Republican.

The recount of the primary votes in the Southeast Washington district confirmed that former Franklin County Sheriff Richard Lathim finished with a 47-vote lead over Democrat Ken Caylor for the second spot on the November ballot.

Republican Mary Dye, who was appointed to the position last spring after incumbent Rep. Susan Fagan, R-Pullman, resigned, finished first with about 48 percent of the vote. The 9th Legislative District is a solidly Republican district which last elected a Democrat to a legislative seat in 1977.