‘It looked like a volcano went off’: Evacuations ordered as 2,000-plus-acre wildfire burns north of Kettle Falls

A 2,161-acre fire burning near the Columbia River between Kettle Falls and Northport, Washington, forced evacuations Tuesday, according to officials.

The Hope fire is primarily burning in timber just west of Ryan on the north side of the river, according to Ryan Rodruck, spokesman at Washington State Department of Natural Resources. A “significant” number of air and ground resources are battling the blaze, which was first reported at 1:15 p.m. Crews arrived 15 minutes later.

Some structures are threatened, and evacuation orders are in place, Rodruck said.

Stevens County Emergency Management’s Facebook page indicates Level 3, or leave now, and Level 2, meaning prepare to leave, evacuation warnings are in effect. Level 3 evacuations are for residents in the 3000 block of Northport Flat Creek Road.

The “fire is growing rapidly,” according to the Facebook page. It urged residents to stay out of the area and off the roads to allow crews to fight the fire.

Dennis Roberts, director and pastor at Three Pines Bible Church and Camp Facility, said he was unloading a pallet of stove pellets at the camp when he looked up and saw a mile-long wall of 100-foot flames coming quickly toward him.

“It looked like a volcano went off,” Roberts said.

Roberts said the fire grew quickly.

“It started roaring,” he said. “That wind picked up, and it was moving fast.”

Roberts said he turned the sprinklers on outside and drove away. He said he wasn’t that worried about his safety, since he had a road to leave the area, but he was worried about the camp and church facilities burning.

Roberts, who was staying at his daughter’s Kettle Falls home Tuesday night, was unsure as of 8 p.m. whether his camp and church were intact.

Roberts said the camp, located at 3765 Hill Loop Road and formerly known as Three Pines Youth Camp, is designed for families and children to unplug from technology in a quiet, relaxing environment where they can enjoy various sports, games and activities.

Its website says the facility supports a range of functions including camps, retreats, conferences, family reunions, weddings, meetings and worship services.

Roberts said they added a cafeteria and kitchen building last summer and opened church services last fall. A group of campers left Sunday and another family camp starts Thursday. He expects that camp to start as long as it’s safe.

The American Red Cross opened a wildfire evacuation center at Kettle Falls Middle School, 105 W. 11th Ave.

Rodruck said a Type 3 incident management team, or specialized resources made up of multiple agencies that handle large fires, will take control of the fire Tuesday night.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.