Hundreds battle fire on reservation

A fire burning on the Colville Indian Reservation, upstream from the Keller Ferry in the Hellgate Game Reserve area has scorched 18,000 acres and was 25 percent contained, as of Tuesday night, as firefighters have contended with snakes, bears and smoke too thick for airplanes to help.

The Williams Flats Fire started Aug. 2, after a band of early morning thunderstorms with lightning moved across the eastern portion of the Colville Indian Reservation, according to Inciweb, a government-run incident information system.

The fire was burning south of Silver Creek Road, within the game reserve, Inciweb's report says, referring to the Hellgate Game Reserve.

"The fire had progressed over Whitestone Ridge and into the Three Mile Creek drainage on the northeast flank," the Northwest Incident Management Team in charge of suppression efforts stated Tuesday morning when it released fire information.

Smoke was thick enough Monday that airplanes used in fighting the fire couldn't fly, but "heavy-lift helicopters continued to assist firefighters with water drops," they said. But when they can fly, "helicopters are dipping and fire boss planes are scooping from nearby Lake Roosevelt for suppression efforts and need space to work," a press release stated. "The public is also asked to avoid these aircraft activities on the water. The area is being patrolled by the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation Law Enforcement."

Some 803 people are involved in fighting the fire, including 21 hand crews. They're also using five "heavy-lift" helicopters, two medium helicopters and one light one. On the ground are 19 fire engines, 22 water tenders, 11 dozers and more.

More resources were reportedly on their way. Full containment is hoped for by Aug. 16, the Inciweb site said.

On Tuesday, firefighters were working to re-establish a safe anchor point to begin fireline construction on the northeast flank. On the west flank, mop-up operations were well underway to secure that containment line. Containment lines had been constructed to, and tied into, the Nine Mile Road. On the northwest flank, firefighters were making fire lines with dozers and hand crews, and a "Structure Protection Group" was monitoring for flare-ups at the Goat/Hellgate Ranch.

That group was also "providing point protection at the Johnny George lookout tower. A remote spike camp has been established near Sand Creek, closer to the fire to reduce travel time for firefighters working on the southeast flank," a press release said.

"Challenges firefighters are facing include high temperatures; reduced visibility; steep, rocky terrain; and wildlife dangers such as snakes and bears."

Weather concerns include "continued hot temperatures and the critically low relative humidity."

Firefighters were concerned about "atmospheric conditions which could lead to increased fire activity and allow a large column of smoke to develop," they said. "This also means the spread rate and direction of the fire is very unpredictable."

One home was still under a Level 2 evacuation, and multiple roads were closed to the public, including Kuehne, Frielander, Refrigerator Canyon and Canteen Creek Roads.

"Closures are in place to provide safety to the firefighters and the public, so please respect those closures," officials asked.