Crescent Road fire spread slowed overnight as it burned into Spokane County

The progression of a fire that started in northeastern Lincoln County and has burned into Spokane County slowed Wednesday night thanks to decreased winds and increased humidity.

The Crescent Road fire had burned 779 acres as of Thursday.

“It burned into a lot of timber and rugged terrain,” said Public Information Officer Isabelle Hoygard. “It did burn around some houses.”

The fire is 0% contained, and officials are assessing structure damage in the area.

It began around 4:15 p.m. Wednesday during brisk winds. Airplanes, bulldozers and fire lines, along with natural features, have been used to prevent forward progress of the fire.

Though the cause is under investigation, it is likely human-caused because of the lack of lightning in the area, Hoygard said.

“We have a lot of aircraft and a lot more crews coming into the area, so even if it does start to get a little more active, we have a lot more resources being able to manage this right now,” Hoygard said.

The Northeast Washington Incident Management Team 2 took over the fire at 10 a.m. Thursday, with more strike teams arriving throughout the day.

Sontag Park in Nine Mile Falls is closed to allow resources extra parking.

Level 3 evacuations were ordered for residents between Farwell Road and the Spokane River, and between McLaughlin Road and state Route 231, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office wrote on Facebook.