450-acre-plus wildfire burning in canyon at Bonnie Lake near Rosalia

A roughly 450-acre, wind-driven wildfire racing up a canyon of Bonnie Lake on the Spokane and Whitman counties border forced evacuations Wednesday afternoon near Rosalia, according to fire officials.

Additional resources across the state were mobilized Wednesday night to help Spokane County Fire District 3, Washington State Department of Natural Resources and other agencies battle the Texas Ferry/Siegel fire.

About five homes were in the Level 3, or leave now, evacuation zone, according to District 3’s Facebook page, which cited the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.

The fire was first reported at 2:55 p.m. near Texas Ferry Road, officials said.

District 3 Public Affairs Director Teri Bunce said Wednesday afternoon the area of the lake where the fire started is encapsulated by 100-foot cliffs. It appeared the fire started on the side of the lake and torched timber on the slope of the canyon. Officials expected the blaze to spill over the top of the canyon, Bunce said.

Bunce said aircraft is fighting the fire from above as trucks and firefighters couldn’t navigate the steep terrain to fight it.

No structures were burned, but high winds created spot fires, Bunce said.

Ryan Rodruck, DNR spokesman, said three fire engines, a bulldozer, a hand crew and one helicopter responded to fight the fire from DNR. “Scooper” planes, which scoop water from a body of water and dump them on fires, were on their way to the scene, Rodruck said.

“We have a significant amount of resources on it,” he said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.