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

Monument Hill fire largely controlled, evacuation orders downgraded

Level three evacuation notices were issued near the town of Quincy Wednesday night as a rapidly shifting wildfire spread through the area. (Tom Jones / Grant County Sheriff’s Office)

Two homes were lost in the Monument Hill area north of Quincy, Washington, Wednesday evening as a brush fire quickly spread.

The fire – called the Monument Hill fire – was driven by the wind, and quickly grew in the grass and sage brush, according to a Spokane County Fire District 4 news release. It threatened about 25 homes near Adams Road and Road 13. The evacuation notices were downgraded to level 1 evacuations Thursday morning, meaning residents were asked to be ready to leave if necessary. A Red Cross shelter was set up at Quincy High School.

In addition to the homes, crews reported that multiple outbuildings, vehicle and farm implements also burned. No injuries have been reported in connection with the fire.

Grant County Fire District 3 called in mutual aid from Chelan and Douglas counties. Crews built miles of hand-cut and bulldozed line that helped control the fire from spreading, firefighters said. They estimated the size to be about 5,000 acres Thursday evening.

The wind shifted Thursday morning and caused the ignition of some unburned fuels on the northern edge of the fire. Two airplanes and two helicopters helped extinguish the new hot sports during the day Thursday.

The Grant County Public Utility District reported power outages in the area as some power poles were destroyed in the fire. Christine Pratt, spokeswoman for the utility district, said 35 houses were affected in the Winchester area.

“We have a lot of poles burned, including transmission poles,” she said. “It could be later this afternoon, possibly this evening, before power is restored.”

Road 13 is currently closed east of Adams Road while crews work to replace numerous power poles

A Northeast Interagency Incident Management Team has taken over command and will work to keep it contained within the fire lines, firefighters said. State resources, including six strike teams with five fire engines each, also responded, according to the news release.

The fire was considered 40 percent contained as of Thursday evening.

Staff writer Nina Culver contributed to this report.