Kaiser Canyon Fire Swells To Almost 87,000 Acres

A wildfire that's already destroyed over a dozen structures and displaced more than 1,000 residents on the Colville Indian Reservation over the past week is still raging with very little containment.

The Kaiser Canyon Fire was ignited by a lightning strike on July 16 and has since grown to officially cover 85,919 acres with only 3% containment as of Thursday (July 23) morning.

A Level 3 Evacuation Notice remains in effect for homes on Coyote Creek and Kartar Roads, while a Level 2 notice is still active for hundreds of homes in the town of Nespelem south to the Belvedere vicinity.

Officials with Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 2 confirmed Wednesday that the fire has destroyed 15 structures, but were unable to say how many of those are primary residences, although that number is believed to be at least five.

A 15-mile stretch of State Route 155 remains closed from two miles north of Nespelem to the summit of Disautel Pass due to the fire, while most of Columbia River Road and all of Cache Creek Road are still closed. Rebecca Lake Road has re-opened but the Reynold Resort remains shut down at this time.

Triple-digit temperatures, gusty winds, and low relative humidities combined to increase the fire's behavior on Wednesday under a Red Flag Warning that is scheduled to persist into the weekend.

The blaze saw more growth along its northern and eastern flanks, as it crept to within about five miles of the town of Keller to its northwest.

Crews on the ground worked to contain several new spot fires, while aerial suppression continued in numerous locations within the fire zone via water and retardant drops from both fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft.

In addition to continuing direct attacks, firefighters are also planning to shore up containment lines and continue structure protection efforts on Thursday and Friday, with a total of 565 personnel currently assigned to the fire.

Smoke impacts from the blaze have been widespread and include parts of the Columbia Basin and the Spokane Valley, as well as Stevens and Pend Oreille Counties, and as far away as the Idaho Panhandle.

One firefighter reportedly suffered a medical emergency while battling the flames and had to be airlifted to a hospital in Grand Coulee for treatment, but no other injuries or deaths have been attributed to the fire.

Two emergency shelters in Omak and one in Coulee Dam are still hosting evacuees, and shelters for impacted animals have been opened in Grand Coulee, Okanogan, and Omak.

A multitude of local wildlife and larger domestic animals have also been disturbed by the blaze, and motorists in the area are being advised to remain vigilant for deer, elk, horses, livestock, and even bears and possibly moose on or near the roadway.