8/25/2026 Hill Loop Fire Update

 Hill Loop Fire Update

August 25, 2026

Incident Commander: Shane Robson

Public Information Officer: Anjel Tomayko

Fire Information Line: 509-215-8583, 8 am – 8 pm

Quick Facts

Size: 127 acres

Location: 13 miles north of Kettle Falls, Washington

Start Date: August 20, 2026

Containment: 72%

Cause: Human, under investigation

Personnel: 173

Resources: 7 handcrews, 10 engines, 1 falling module, 1 dozer, 3 tenders

Priority: Firefighter and public safety

Firefighters continued making steady progress yesterday, working deeper into the interior of the fire to locate and extinguish remaining heat. Crews used the water delivery system established on the north end to support mop-up in steep terrain and continued gridding and checking the perimeter for hotspots.

Today, crews are expanding mop-up operations with a goal of securing up to 200 feet inside the fire perimeter where conditions allow. Firefighters will continue gridding and checking for remaining heat, while reinforcing areas that have already been mopped up.

As suppression work progresses, crews are also beginning rehabilitation of secondary containment lines. This includes installing water bars to reduce erosion, removing dozer berms and covering disturbed ground with brush where possible.

Weather will be warmer and dry today, with temperatures reaching the upper 80s and relative humidity dropping to around 16 to 21 percent. Winds are expected to remain light, shifting from northeast to southwest during the afternoon. Breezier southwest winds are expected Wednesday and Thursday, with gusts around 20 to 25 mph possible.

Evacuations: Level 1 evacuations remain in place. To sign up for alerts or view current evacuation information, visit: https://www.stevenscountywa.gov/20859/emergency-management

Road Closures: All road closures have been lifted.

Email: 2026.hillloop@firenet.gov

Inciweb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/wanes-hill-loop