Red flag warning and burn ban goes into affect

Amid red flag warnings and a burn ban for Central and Eastern Washington, several fires sparked Friday afternoon and evening around Spokane.

The backyard of a home near 16th and Freya streets caught fire Friday evening, after a tree fell on a power line, Lt. Mike Walker of the Spokane Fire Department said. He said firefighters were able to control the fire before it reached the house, restricting most of the damage to the yard. He said the department had to bring an extra chief on duty because of the number of fires burning around Spokane, such as a large brush fire along Liberty Avenue.

The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for much of Central Washington effective from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday. Low humidity and windy condictions are predicted.

There are also burn bans and restrictions in affect throughout the state. According to a Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Spokane, Stevens, Ferry, Pend Oreille, Okanogan, Lincoln, Lewis, Skamania, Clark, Cowlitz and Pacific counties are under burn restrictions. The department has responded to 649 wildfires this year, according to the DNR, with 80 percent of those fires caused by human activity.