Soap Lake fire 50 percent contained

SOAP LAKE — A fire which has burnt 2,000 acres north of Soap Lake has is about 50 percent contained, according to a Grant County Sheriff’s Office spokesman.

GCSO Deputy Kyle Foreman said that fire crews were arriving from across the state to relieve Grant County firefighters who have been battling the blaze, which broke out around 4:30 p.m. on Monday, all night.

Foreman said the “wind driven” fire was difficult to fight on Monday, but improved weather conditions and cooler temperatures mean fire crews should have an easier time combating the fire today.

Aerial tankers are also expected to help fight the fire, though Foreman said he was not sure if they would be from the U.S. Forest Service of the State Department of Natural Resources.

No structures have been reported lost, Foreman added, and no one has sought shelter from the blaze.

“Around 15 to 20 homes are in a level three evacuation area, but they don’t have to evacuate,” Foreman said.

No cause has been established for the blaze, which erupted around milepost 81 of S.R. 17, about 2-3 miles north of Soap Lake, Foreman said.

Charles H. Featherstone can be reached via email at countygvt@columbiabasinherald.com