Swawilla fire on Colville Reservation is 10% contained

Calmer winds and cooler weather brought relief Friday to crews fighting a wildfire burning toward the town of Keller, Washington, on the Colville Indian Reservation.

The Swawilla Fire is 10% contained along the fire’s heal near the north shore of Lake Roosevelt, said David Shroyer, information officer for the Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team.

Keller and areas south of Cache Creek Road remain under evacuation.

The fire is estimated at 30,600 acres. It reached the top of Mt. Tolman and is progressing back down over the northern slope.

Fortunately, Shroyer said, the north side is greener and wetter, so the fire is moving slower.

Manny Mendoza, operation section chief for the management team, said in an update Friday the mild weather over the next few days will be a good opportunity to get a better handle on the fire “and really box this thing in.”