7/30/2021 Spruce Canyon Fire Update

Colville, WA - 

Yesterday: Alpha Division (north of Highway 20) continued their mop up operations which includes gridding the fire to look for hot spots and working a minimum of 200 feet in from the perimeter making sure everything is out and cooled off. Infrared tools are being used to point out any additional hot spots firefighters can’t see. Firefighters on Division Zulu (south side of Highway 20) continue to have a bit more of a challenge. They continued strengthening containment lines, working to clear brush and trees, mopping up hot spots and spot fires. The work on the south side of Zulu is challenging due to thick brush. This work is a slow tedious task and will take some time to complete and is critical for containment.  

Today: Firefighters will continue the mop up on Division Alpha and finish repair work on that side of the fire. Repair work is part of our turn back standards (turning the fire back to local resources). This includes repairing any fences, roads or anything else that was destroyed during the firefighting efforts for access or containment during initial attack. Division Zulu will continue their work on mopping up spot fires. The priority continues to be the south side of Division Zulu. The work is tedious and time consuming with crews having limited access to the interior of the fire. There are 270 firefighters on the ground with heavy equipment assisting with access and contingency lines.   

DOT will not be running a pilot car today, but signs will be out to inform drivers about firefighting vehicles coming on and off the highway. Citizens are asked to stay clear of the fire area and adhere to road signs. Driving with care will keep both drivers and firefighters safe.

While we appreciate the outpouring of generosity, there are no current needs for donations for the firefighting efforts. Individuals who want to donate items should contact their local food pantries or local charities. 

Level 1 &2 evacuation orders are still in place. For current evacuation orders please see Stevens County Department of Emergency Management (DEM) Facebook page.

The Spruce Canyon Fire started Friday, July 23. 2021 at 2:02 p.m. near Spruce Canyon Rd. and Black Lake. The fire was turned over to the Northeast Washington Interagency IMT Type 3, Team 2 on Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m. Resources from Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, Stevens County Fire district 5 & 9, Stevens County Sheriff, Washington State DOT, Pend Oreille, District 4, and many other resources from in and out of the state are working together on the fire.    

Fire information and the incident command post is located at Colville Middle School in Colville, WA. 

The Fire information contact is Starr Farrell @ (509) 680-7002 or you can also follow us on Facebook @NEWIMT3