Northrup Fire crews mop up

The Northrup Fire was 95% contained and burned 247 acres, according to a final update released Monday from the Southeast Washington Type 3 Interagency Incident Management Team 2.

No known structures were lost and no injuries were reported. The cause remained under investigation.

Management of the fire also was transferred Monday to a local command organization with the Bureau of Land Management from the interagency team, which demobilized at noon.

Three engines and one helicopter remained on scene. The remaining crews were to continue monitoring and securing the fire in the next several days, the release stated. The engines were mopping up, patrolling and repairing. Unburned portions within containment lines would continue burning, so some smoke was expected.

On Sunday, a helicopter took firefighters to work sites due to inaccessibility for vehicles in the steep, rocky terrain. Those crews secured the fire’s eastern border and hiked an hour and 40 minutes back to the highway. In the north, lingering heat was cooled by helicopter bucket drops. Most fireline resources were released from the fire by the end of the day.

All evacuation notices for the Northrup Fire were lifted at 6 p.m. Sunday, according to a Grant County Sheriff’s Office alert. Steamboat Rock State Park and state Route 155 were open Sunday, as well.

The blaze started at about 5:45 p.m. Thursday along state Route 155, near Northrup Canyon Road. It was burning grass and sagebrush near Electric City, the State Fire Marshal’s Office stated in a release Friday. Level 2 and 3 evacuations were in effect.

Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste authorized the mobilization of state firefighting resources at 7:30 a.m. Friday at the request of Grand Coulee Fire Chief Ryan Fish.