Hill Loop Fire Final Update
August 26, 2026
Quick Facts
Size: 127 acres
Location: 13 miles north of Kettle Falls, Washington
Start Date: August 20, 2026
Containment: 90%
Firefighters continued making steady progress yesterday, mopping up deeper into the fire’s interior and checking the perimeter for remaining heat. Crews have now completed mop-up 200 feet inside the fire perimeter in many areas and continued suppression repair where firefighting equipment and containment lines are no longer needed.
Firefighters have been using handheld infrared (IR) equipment at night to detect heat that may not be visible from the surface. After hotspots were located and recorded crews returned to those areas during the day to mop-up. Handheld IR is commonly used late in the mop-up process to help identify residual heat before resources are released from an incident.
Today, crews will focus on hot spots and complete objectives before management of the Hill Loop Fire transitions back to Washington State Department of Natural Resources tomorrow. Resources no longer needed on the incident will be released or reassigned, while local firefighters will continue to patrol and monitor the fire.
Smoke may still be visible from within the fire area for several days or even weeks. Some stumps, duff and other fuels well inside the fire perimeter may continue to smolder or occasionally burn.
If you observe open flame or smoke within 300 to 400 feet of the fire’s perimeter, call NEWICC at 509-685-6900. If you are unable to contact NEWICC, call 911. When reporting smoke, it is helpful to provide your location, how close the smoke appears to be to the fire perimeter, characteristics of the smoke and whether you can see open flame.
Evacuations: All evacuations are lifted.
