At Least Five Homes In Beverly Destroyed By Fast-Moving Wildfire, One Injury Reported

Fire crews are working feverishly to contain a fast-moving and destructive wildfire that sparked in Western Grant County late Wednesday.

The Grant County Sheriff's Office says the Railroad Fire broke out at around 11 p.m. near the towns of Beverly and Schawana, all of which remain on a Level 3 Evacuation Notice along with dozens of homes on Lower Crab Creek Road.

The blaze rapidly grew to between 600-700 acres overnight, fanned by gusty winds in dry grass and sagebrush.

Sheriff's spokesperson, Kyle Foreman, says the fire has destroyed several structures thus far, including five primary residences as it threatens dozens more, as well as other infrastructure and a variety of agricultural lands.

Overnight, the fire also forced a 15-mile stretch of State Route 243 to close from the Mattawa Roundabout to the highway's junction with State Route 26, but it has since re-opened.

Foreman says the fire is still burning without any official containment, but State Mobilization has been ordered for the blaze and he reports aerial suppression was just arriving at the scene while speaking with KPQ News at around 9:15 a.m. on Thursday (July 23).

Foreman adds the blaze is burning in several areas featuring steep terrain that are impossible for ground crews to access, so firefighters are expected to attack the flames heavily from the air today using both water and retardant drops, if possible.

Crews with Grant County Fire District No. 10 were the first to arrive at the scene and rapidly became overwhelmed as the fire spread quickly in the hot, dry, and windy conditions.

One person evacuating the area reportedly suffered from smoke inhalation but no other injuries have been reported.

After fearing that several people might have died in the fire, Foreman was happy to report that no deaths have been attributed to the blaze, following a thorough block-by-block sweep of the area this morning.