Briefly

The Mill Canyon fire contained again

Two dozen evacuees were allowed Wednesday to return to their homes as fire crews again contained the 1,000-acre Mill Canyon fire.

One firefighter suffered heat exhaustion Tuesday and was airlifted to a local hospital where he was treated and released, information officer Dale Warriner said in a press release.

The human-caused fire hasn’t grown since winds Monday night caused the blaze to jump fire lines. More brisk winds tested those lines Tuesday night, but the fire did not escape, Warriner said.

Firefighters also have completely encircled the 95-acre Seven Mile fire near Lincoln and Craig roads north of Airway Heights, Warriner said. Crews will continue mop-up duties on both fires today, he said.

Elk man dies, rider hurt in motorcycle crash

A 47-year-old Elk, Wash., man was killed Tuesday afternoon when the motorcycle he was driving collided with a car, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office reported.

Randall Douglas Mond was traveling in the 17300 block of East Blanchard Road, north of Spokane, when the motorcycle entered a slight curve and collided broadside with a car pulling slowly out of a driveway, said Cpl. Dave Reagan, sheriff’s spokesman.

Mond was pronounced dead at the scene, Reagan said. His 32-year-old female passenger was injured.

She was thrown over the car and suffered numerous fractures and internal injuries.

She was transported to a downtown Spokane hospital where she was listed in serious condition Wednesday, Reagan said.

Both riders were wearing helmets, Reagan said.

Sailboarder dies in Columbia near Kettle Falls

A 43-year-old Colville-area man drowned Tuesday while sailboarding at Bradbury Beach on the Columbia River, just south of Kettle Falls, Wash.

Acquaintances, who saw the drowning about 5:30 p.m., said John D. Ochs disappeared under the water before they could reach him, the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office said.

Emergency workers from several agencies recovered Ochs’ body about two hours later.

One person missing after car goes into lake

The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office was investigating a possible drowning Wednesday night after a car went into Fernan Lake.

The car reportedly went off the road just south of the Fernan Lake Village about 9:47 p.m., a Kootenai County dispatcher said.

One person was unaccounted for in the crash, and crews were still looking for that person late Wednesday night, the dispatcher said.

No more information was available at press time.