Royal Lake Fire Near Othello Now 25% Contained, Over 2,000 Acres

Firefighters are making progress in their efforts to contain a wildfire in Western Adams County that's torched over 2,000 acres in the past three days.

The Royal Lake Fire is burning in the vicinity of its namesake about five miles north-northwest of Othello, and has spread to officially cover 2,037 acres since sparking late Wednesday (July 15).

A Type 3 incident management team from Southeast Washington took command of the firefight early Saturday after local crews did their utmost to keep the flames at bay during their first two days of activity.

Despite highly favorable conditions for fire spread, including heat, arid land, and wind, the blaze has reportedly seen minimal growth over the past 24 hours and is currently listed at 25% containment.

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The fire is largely burning on public lands and has moved into austere terrain to the north and east since Thursday, making firefighting efforts more challenging.

No evacuations or road closures have been prompted as a result of the fire, and crews are working to secure a perimeter around the blaze to keep it from spreading towards any populated areas.

No structures have been damaged or destroyed and no injuries reported.

The fire is believed to have been ignited by a lightning strike associated with a line of strong thunderstorms which pushed through the region late Wednesday (July 15) and are also responsible for having touched off the nearby Lyons Ferry Fire Complex to the southeast.