Three blazes, zero control
Three large, eastern Washington ground fires that have been pushing smoke into North Idaho since Sunday remained officially uncontained Tuesday evening.
Rick Isaacson, with Chelan Fire District No. 1 in Wenatchee and a member of the incident management team for the Spokane Complex fire, said fire crews are making headway and they could have containment numbers sometime this morning.
“There are hot spots all over the place that are still of concern,” Isaacson said.
The 3,750-acre Spokane Complex fire is now the official name of two of the fires closest to North Idaho: the Wellesley Fire and the Yale Road Fire. The Wellesley Fire is located north of Interstate 90 on the eastern edge of Spokane. The Yale Road Fire is located south of Spokane and Interstate 90, and southwest of the small community of Valleyford. Both fires started as a dry cold front moved through the area with strong gusty winds, making them very active and fast-driven.
“There is quite a bit of activity in the Yale fire,” Isaacson said.
The Yale Road Fire is estimated to be 3,500 acres in size. Ten residences were destroyed. The good news is the fire did not spread significantly Monday night, although firefighters continue to be challenged by fire burning in timbered areas adjacent to agricultural lands.
Estimated to spread across 250 acres, the Wellesley fire destroyed two residences.
“The Wellesley is ringed, but there are some hot spots,” Isaacson said.
Cooler temperatures, higher relative humidity and diminishing winds are expected to assist firefighters’ efforts.
The Hart Fire, located 13 miles north of Davenport and south of the Spokane River, is burning across 4,200 acres. It also remains officially uncontained.
Due to the smoke and haze caused by the fires, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality issued an Air Quality Forecast and Caution to notify residents of Bonner, Boundary, Kootenai, Benewah and Shoshone counties of degraded air quality. Air quality currently ranges from “good” to “unhealthy.”
“Smoke and haze can cause eye and throat irritation, coughing, and difficulty breathing,” the Panhandle Health District told The Press in an email Monday. “Older adults, pregnant women, children and those with pre-existing respiratory issues or heart disease are often more affected by these conditions, but healthy adults can also be affected by smoke.”
The Panhandle Health District advises people who can see haze and smell smoke to:
1. Avoid heavy work or exercise outdoors.
2. Set air conditioning units and car vent systems to re-circulate. For homes without a central heating and/or cooling system, use portable air purifiers to remove particles.
3. Limit time outdoors, especially if you have respiratory conditions or heart disease.
4. Drink plenty of water. Staying hydrated helps dilute phlegm in the respiratory tract, making it easier to cough out smoke particles.
5. Seek medical treatment for uncontrolled coughing, wheezing, choking, or if you have difficulty breathing once you move back indoors.
Updates on air quality by the DEQ can be found at http://airquality.deq.idaho.gov.