FIRE REPORT: Swawilla Fire uncontained, still growing

GRAND COULEE — The Swawilla Fire, ignited by lightning July 17, is located 11 miles east of Grand Coulee and grew to roughly 17,389 acres by Thursday. The fire remains uncontained according to the Washington Department of Natural Resources.

The Keller Ferry will open temporarily to help evacuate the town of Keller. Roads have been closed near the fire and more may be closed as the fire grows. Keller is now at a level three evacuation as of Thursday. The estimated containment date is Aug. 15, 2024.

The Retreat Fire, also listed as the Rimrock Fire, started Wednesday at 3:45 p.m. and rapidly grew from 200 acres to 2,200 acres with no containment, according to DNR. The fire has now burned 8,000 acres with no containment as of Thursday. It is burning in heavy timber and grass-fueled areas. 

The fire is located 24 miles northwest of Yakima on U.S. 12. Fire crews have closed Highway 12 from Oak Creek to White Pass due to the fire jumping over the highway. According to the Naches Fire Department  there are large rocks, snags and burnt logs now blocking the highway too. The Yakima County Office of Emergency Management has issued level three and level two evacuations for various areas. 

These other fires were also burning in Washington Thursday, according to the National Interagency Fire Center:

• The Big Horn Fire started at 1:07 p.m. Monday near the town of Bickleton in Klickitat County. The fire has grown from 14,099 acres Wednesday to 32,886 acres Thursday and is 5% contained according to InciWeb. Evacuation orders for nearby residents have been issued.

• The Black Canyon Fire was reported at 7:21 p.m. Monday. The fire expanded from 6,500 acres Wednesday to 11,099 acres Thursday. The fire has no containment according to DNR. There are multiple evacuation notices in effect. 

• The Bridge Creek Fire ignited July 19 and is 11 miles north of Keller. As of Thursday, the fire had grown from 2,398 acres Wednesday to 3,864 acres Thursday. The fire is uncontained. There are multiple evacuation orders in effect according to Inciweb, as well as multiple road restrictions. 

• The Cougar Creek Fire, discovered on July 15 in the Blue Mountains, about 50 miles east of Walla Walla, was sitting at 12,429 acres by Wednesday but has expanded to 13,511 acres. It is now at 26% containment. An evacuation order is in effect in the area and some roads have travel restrictions near the Washington-Oregon border.

• The Davin Road fire started at 8:40 a.m. Sunday and was only one acre initially, but quickly grew. It remains at 1,732 acres with no containment as of Thursday according to the National Interagency Fire Center. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. 

• The Easy Fire, discovered July 17 about 58 miles northwest of Omak, remains uncontained at 397 acres by Thursday. On Sunday, SR 20 North Cascades Highway was closed between Granite Creek and Easy Pass trailhead in both directions due to the wildfire. According to officials, the estimated containment date is Sept. 1 due to rough ground and heavy vegetation.

• The Gooseneck Fire started yesterday at 2:37 p.m. in Asotin County according to the National Interagency Fire Center. The fire is 500 acres with no containment as of Thursday. 

• The Miners Complex Fires consist of nine wildfires caused by lightning strikes July 17 and 18, according to the Miners Complex Facebook. The fire is still at 500 acres with no containment as of Thursday according to InciWeb. The Miners Complex include: Miners Fire, Vista Ridge Fire, Dolly Creek Fire, Sulphur Three Fire, Sulphur Four Fire, Sulphur Thirty-Four Fire, Upper Sulphur Thirty-Two Fire, Lower Sulphur Thirty-Two Fire, and Plummer Fire. The Miners Complex is burning approximately 21 miles east of Darrington in the Upper Suiattle Valley.

•The Owhi Flats Fire, discovered July 17, has 30% containment and has burned 84 acres as of Thursday. The fire is located seven miles northeast of Nespelem. The fire is north of the Columbia River, east of Swawilla Basin Road and west of Highway 21. The estimated cost to fight the fire so far is $100,000. 

• The Pioneer Fire remains at 14% containment and has expanded from 30,352 acres Wednesday to 31,584 acres Thursday. Discovered on July 8, initially reported on private land 31 miles northwest of Chelan, it spread to the U.S. Forest Service land, including wilderness areas. Multiple evacuation orders are in effect as a result of the fire. The estimated containment date is Aug. 31.

• The Rainbow Lake Fire started at 4:05 p.m. Tuesday with an initial estimate of 150 acres, but has been remapped at only 68.3 acres with full containment. The fire is located in Okanogan County by Rainbow Lake. 

• The Shoofly Fire in the Cascades, about 45 miles northwest of Wenatchee, was 60% contained Thursday, and has burned 104 acres. The fire has been active since July 8. The expected containment date is July 25, 2024. 

• The White Swan Fire started at 5:08 p.m. Monday. The fire is 100 acres and not contained as of Thursday. The Federal Emergency Management Agency authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the fire. At the time of the request the wildfire threatened homes in and around the community of White Swan. The fire is also threatening the White Swan Health Clinic, White Swan High School, rodeo grounds, a community center, churches, business and government buildings according to the press release from the Department of Homeland Security. 

Grant County’s wildfire danger continues to be very high. The Grant County Sheriff’s office has asked area residents to be careful with anything that could cause a wildfire.

Other fires reported throughout the state have burned less than 10 acres and are not included in this report. The majority are less than 1 acre.

Air quality was good Thursday for the Columbia Basin, according to the website AirNow, which is operated by a consortium of government agencies.

Correction: The Swawilla fire began July 17. There was a typo in the date which has been corrected above.