Lyons Ferry Fire Ups To 28% Contained, Two Firefighters Injured Battling The Flames

After three days of round-the-clock effort, firefighters appear to finally be making some inroads in their battle with the Lyons Ferry Fire in Southeastern Washington.

The blaze ignited late Wednesday (July 15) about 10 miles south of Washtucna and rapidly spread in hot, dry, and windy conditions - officially covering 34,166 acres in Adams, Franklin, and Whitman Counties with 28% containment as of late Sunday.

Although hundreds remain on a Level 2 evacuation notice in and around the towns of Hooper and LaCrosse, many in these areas were downgraded from a Level 3 notice earlier Sunday, although homes on a few roads near to the fire remain on a Level 3 notice, while those in the town of Dusty and along State Route 127 from the junction of State Route 26 (SR-26) to Central Ferry are currently on a Level 1 Fire Advisory.

The fire has also forced intermittent partial closures of SR-26 and State Route 261, and numerous local roads remain shutdown due to the blaze.

After being closed for several days due to the raging flames, Columbia Plateau Trail, Lyons Ferry, and Palouse Falls State Parks were all re-opened early Sunday, as fire activity minimized in these areas.

A Type 3 incident management team from Southeast Washington took command of the firefight late Friday and more resources have been arriving over the weekend to help in battling the flames.

Crews are working diligently to contain the fire on the ground and aerial resources are performing both water and retardant drops on the flames during daylight hours.

The blaze has ballooned with great ferocity due to gusty winds and near-triple-digit temperatures since sparking, and weather conditions are not expected to significantly change in the days ahead.

The Lyons Ferry Fire is part of a complex of four wildfires in the vicinity which have now scorched a total of 46,834 acres or almost 75 square miles.

The other three fires include the Neff Jones Fire, which is currently listed at 7,123 acres with 88% containment; the Devils Canyon Fire, which is currently listed at 4,747 acres with 78% containment; and the Wallace Walker Fire, which is currently listed at 798 acres with 90% containment.

Smoke impacts from the blazes have been widespread, but are primarily impacting communities to the east as far away as Idaho and extreme Southwestern Montana.

Despite the sheer scale of destruction to the landscape, there have been no reports of any homes being destroyed by any of the fires.

Two firefighters have reportedly suffered injuries but no citizen injuries have been reported.

Although the exact cause of the Lyons Ferry Fire remains in question, it, along with the other three blazes, are believed to have been caused by lightning strikes associated with a system of strong thunderstorms that moved through the area late Wednesday (July 15).