Overview
- The blaze began near Beacon Hill around midday Tuesday and grew from a small brush fire to roughly 200–300 acres within hours under strong, gusty winds.
- Authorities issued Level 3 'Leave Now' orders that affected about 12,000 residents and more than 2,000 structures, and the American Red Cross opened shelters for evacuees.
- Fire crews from local, state and neighboring districts used aircraft, hand crews and bulldozers to fight the fire, achieving about 10% containment by Wednesday while operations continued.
- Officials have confirmed at least a dozen to 15 homes destroyed and the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office reported investigators found possible human remains in a burned residence.
- Gov. Bob Ferguson requested federal help and FEMA approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant to cover firefighting costs as investigators continue to determine cause and damage assessments proceed.