Washington National Guard mobilizes for first-ever ‘particularly dangerous situation’ warning for fire weather in Eastern WA

For the first time, the National Weather Service has issued a “particularly dangerous situation” warning for Saturday over extreme fire conditions, one step above a normal red flag warning.

Wildland fires this year have scorched more acreage in Washington than in any of the past five years.

More than 1,000 fires sparked since the start of the year have torched some 425,000 acres, or over 660 square miles of forest, neighborhoods, tribal land and scabland across Washington.

There’s still months to go in the fire season. According to weather, fire and state authorities, it’s fixing to burn more this weekend.

The warning is in effect across Eastern Washington, including Spokane, the Waterville Plateau, Okanogan Valley, Western Columbia Basin, Colville Reservation, the Palouse and Snake River areas.

Saturday is “the most significant weather event of the year as it pertains to wildfire,” said Spokane County Fire District 3 Chief Cody Rohrbach.

The main concern for fire weather is expected winds from the south and southwest, said Joey Clevenger, meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

A dry cold front sweeping through all of Washington and parts of Oregon into Idaho and Montana will bring wind on Saturday, Clevenger said, picking up in the late morning and peaking around 8 p.m. in Spokane. Sustained winds are expected to blow between 20 and 30 miles per hour, with gusts up to 40 and 50 miles per hour.

Winds are predicted to shift and slow by Sunday, coming from the north. It’ll be generally cooler across the region, Clevenger said, which won’t necessarily help firefighting efforts but should be less hazardous than Saturday’s conditions.

Those living in town aren’t exempt from fire risk. Residents should avoid any activity that can start a spark, Clevenger said, including mowing their lawn or driving with chains dangling onto roadways.

“If there is a new start, it’s going to be hard to get any kind of containment on it initially with the winds going,” Clevenger said.

More Spokane firefighters will be on the clock Saturday, said department spokesperson Justin de Ruyter.

They’re not the only ones bracing for new sparks and rapid spread of existing blazes; Gov. Bob Ferguson is sending 110 Washington National Guard members to fire lines across the state, the first time since 2021. The assignment comes at the request of Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove. There were already 27 state National Guard helicopter crew members assigned earlier in July.

There were 10 large wildland fires actively burning, as of Friday, that had consumed a combined 200,000 acres.

“We have about 4,000 personnel assigned to those fires. We have more than a dozen states helping out, like Alaska and Florida,” Upthegrove said. “Folks are stretched thin.”

If people receive an evacuation notice, Upthegrove said, “leave immediately.”

“These fires move fast. We are expecting high winds,” he said. “We can see fires moving more than 100 miles an hour, and they can be deadly.”

Below is an update on several of the fires still burning around Eastern Washington.

Modrite fire

The Modrite fire burning on the Colville Reservation grew some 17,500 acres from Thursday to Friday while containment on its perimeter fell from 63% to 30%.

Its full footprint is now over 37,000 acres, and there are 639 personnel assigned to the fire. Authorities warn weather patterns over the weekend could allow rapid spread north, toward Inchelium, which evacuated Thursday.

This proximity prompted the Federal Emergency Management Agency to approve federal funds to supplement firefighting costs, according to a release from the agency. An administrator for the federal program, Vincent Maykovich, said the threats from the Modrite fire could constitute a “major disaster;” threatened structures and homes in Inchelium, including the community center, tribal EMS and fire and rescue buildings, parks, the library, a childcare center, wood treatment plant and a campground.

The Colville Tribal Broadcast System is advising all residents on the Colville Reservation to prepare early for potential evacuation orders on Saturday.

Level 3 “go now” evacuations warnings were in place as of Friday afternoon for swaths of the eastern side of the reservation from the Modrite fire while much of the west was under the same warnings from the separate Kaiser Canyon fire.

Under Level 3 “go now” warnings are the town of Inchelieum as well as the areas of Lynx Mountain, Rainy Ridge, Spud Cellar Road, Round Lake, Twin Lakes, Box Canyon, Stranger Mountain, Covada, Kewa, Apex and Rodgers Bar.

As of Friday afternoon, Level 2 “get set” evacuation warnings were in place for the northeastern edge of the reservation, including in the Barnaby Creek, Finley Ponds and Brush Mountain areas.

The Gifford Ferry is closed. Residents should use Inchelium Highway or state Route 25 to Kettle Falls to evacuate.

Residents should check the Colville Tribal Broadcast System Facebook page for more information and updates.

Kaiser Canyon fire

On the western edge of the Colville Reservation, the Kaiser Canyon fire is still burning after lightning struck near Nespelem over two weeks ago.

The largest in the state currently, the fire has burned a total 131,300 acres with 30% containment. There are over 1,030 personnel assigned to the fire from state and tribal agencies.

The fire prompted evacuation warnings for parts of the reservation to the northwest. The Hayley Creek Area, Armstrong Meadows, Owhi Lake, Empire Creek Road and Central Peak areas immediately encircling the burned areas are under Level 3 “go now” evacuation orders as of Friday afternoon.

Under Level 2 “get set” notices are areas of Nespelem, Omak Lake, Moses Mountain, West Fork, Coyote Creek and Cache Creek.

State Route 155 is closed from Monument south to Park City Loop Road, and closed again at Schoolhouse Loop Road. Coyote Creek Road is closed just past the last residence from Kartar Cemetery to state Route 155. Cache Creek Road is closed from Nespelem to State Route 21.

Residents should check the Colville Tribal Broadcast System Facebook page for more information and updates.

Bradeen Hill fire

A fire that started southwest of Colville on July 25 has since burned nearly 4,200 acres and is 3% contained as of Friday afternoon, nearing the town of Gifford.

There are 318 firefighters assigned to the fire.

The fire is burning about 1.5 miles from the town of Gifford, as of Friday, prompting evacuations in the town. The Addy-Gifford Road is closed.

A Red Cross shelter is open at Jenkins High School, and evacuees can take large animals to the Arden Rodeo Grounds, where they must be cared for by their owner.