Crews battling Valley View fire, others burning across Inland Northwest
Posted: July 10, 2008 06:05 PM
Updated: July 11, 2008 06:19 AM
SPOKANE, Wash. - Firefighters in Spokane County area are getting help from the state to help fight the Valley View fire, a fire in the Dishman Hills area of Spokane Valley that has burned at least 8 homes. High winds and hot temperatures helped start and fan several wildfires Thursday in Idaho and Eastern Washington.
The evacuation orders connected to the 1,200-acre Valley View fire have been reduced and cover an area bounded south and east of 18th and Park to 48th Avenue, and west of Dishman-Mica.
Residents in the area east of Dishman-Mica can return to their homes, but they should be aware that access into the area is difficult.
Authorities say they have a two mile perimeter set up around the fire and believe it started somewhere on Eastern Lane between 18th and 20th.
Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich tells KHQ that early last evening there was a person of interest, but no further details are being released.
As of 4:45 a.m. Friday, 1,200 acres have burned along with 8 houses and one outbuilding.
Officials tell KHQ that 40 fire apparatuses and 140 firefighters are currently battling the Valley View fire. Authorities plan to bring in air support at daybreak Friday, which includes helicopters which could not fly in Thursday's heavy winds.
The local Red Cross set up a shelter at University High School at University and 32nd Ave. and one at North Central High School in north Spokane, however the shelter at North Central was closed early Friday. They also set up tents at Valley Mission Park, but abandoned that plan when no one showed up.
SpokAnimal set up a shelter for pets and livestock displaced by the fire at the Spokane County Fairgrounds.
Evacuees can continue to check into the shelters throughout the night. Animals can be taken to the fairgrounds' livestock gate located off of Broadway near Aztec Electric. If residents have cages, kennels, or crates for their animals, they should bring them.
Washington Governor Christine Gregoire landed in Spokane Thursday evening to assess the situation and verbally issued a state of emergency in Spokane and Ferry Counties.
In Stevens County commissioners declared a local state of emergency. This is the result of a significant wind storm that swept through the entire county causing multiple fire starts, power outages and downed trees.
The largest fire in Stevens County is along the Ferry County / Stevens County line in the Barstow area (just north of Kettle Falls). The fire has resulted in over 28 families being evacuated in both counties. The American Red Cross is assisting with the fire by opening the Kettle Falls High School as an evacuation shelter.
Elsewhere in Stevens county, there have been 30-40 fire starts as a result of downed power lines and other wind related issues. A majority of these fires are less than 10 acres and have been mostly contained. There are still a number of residences without power at this time.
irefighters responded to a fire that started Thursday evening on the west plains west of Spokane. As of 8:15 p.m., the fire had burned 5 to 6 acres near Wood Road and Cooley Heights Road.
Firefighters were also dispatched to the 31000 block of N. Division Street because of a fire, as well as one in Fire District 9 around the area of the Nine Mile Resort.
Another fire started near Coeur d'Alene Casino in the Worley area. Highway officials decided to close Highway 95 because smoke from the fire was making it difficult for drivers to see the road.
In Latah County, Idaho, fire bosses there said a "huge" fire was burning at the bottom of the Lewiston Grade.
Ferry, Lincoln and Pend Orielle Counties all reported several wildfires in their area, most of them small. Highway 395 north of Kettle Falls was shut down while firefighters battled a wildfire in that area.
The fires were being fanned by winds that blew steadily around 30 miles an hour.
In the Spokane area, gusts blew down trees and knocked power lines over, causing scattered power outages. Representatives of Avista Utilities reported about 5,000 outages as of 4:35 a.m. Friday - 4,600 of them in the area around Colville. The remainder of the outages are in Spokane which stands at 324. Avista was able to restore power to all customers in the Palouse area and are pleased with their progress. Avista is asking people to report outages by calling 1-800-227-9187.
They want to remind people to stay away from downed power lines.
