Nine Mile Store owner Corinne Rogers offers hope as community tries to recover from fires that have ravaged more than 700 structures since Saturday

Troy Johnson called the Nine Mile Store on Tuesday. He felt immediate relief that owner Corinne Rogers picked up and he was even more reassured by her answer.

Since it was the only accessible place to buy gas in Nine Mile Falls with roadblocks and evacuations from the Autumn Lane fire burning nearby, he called to ask if her convenience store was open and had power.

“I said ‘Yeah, and the beer’s cold,’ ” Rogers said.

About an hour later, he was there filling up three canisters of gas to keep his generators running and a case of Miller Lite. Johnson has been without power in his home in Nine Mile Falls since Saturday evening.

Since she reopened and regained power Monday, Rogers’ convenience store along State Route 291 has become a hub of activity from the Autumn Lane fire burning more than 5,600 acres in Spokane and Stevens counties.

A steady stream of customers came through Rogers’ doors on Tuesday, filling up propane and gas cans and asking Rogers for updates on road closures and the toll of the destruction.

“I’m trying to keep the smile on my face and do what I do,” she said.

She tells a customer that nearby Charles Road is open and terribly charred. She takes the number for another, promising to call them when the post office next door is open. She takes and gives donations for residents who lost homes. Everyone is offered a free cookie.

“These are my people. These are my customers. These are my friends,” she said through tears.

The Autumn Lane fire is the largest of three burning around Spokane County. It grew to 5,600 acres Monday night. The total acreage consumed by the Autumn Lane, Old Trails and Fairview fires is 10,546 as of Tuesday evening. The fires are zero percent contained with 1,420 personnel assigned across all three blazes.

There have been no deaths reported as a result of the fire, and all 14 people unaccounted for by the sheriff’s office have been located, Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels said. Authorities estimate at least 700 structures were leveled across the three fires.

There are still more than 1,600 households without power, largely in regions burned by the fires.