Brush fire destroys outbuilding near Airway Heights, homes saved

Firefighters battled a three-alarm brush fire in the area of 21600 W. Jacobs Road north of Airway Heights Thursday afternoon. One outbuilding was destroyed and some homes were temporarily evacuated. “There were two or three houses that were close to the fire when it first started going,” said Spokane County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Deputy Mark Gregory. Spokane County Fire District 10 firefighters we aided by crews from Airway Heights, Fairchild Air Force Base, Medical Lake and the Department of Natural Resources. Airplanes and helicopters dropped water and fire retardant on the flames. The fire grew to 17 acres before being stopped Thursday evening, said Eric Keller of DNR. “I don’t anticipate it getting any bigger,” he said shortly after 7 p.m. “There’s a fire line around it, but it’s not contained.”