Fire threatening Nespelem area

Update 3 p.m. 7/24/20:

Level 3 evacuations have been lifted in the Nespelem-to-agency area today, but Level 2 Evacuation has been issued for the area north of Nespelem from the Catholic Cemetery to the Jackson Ranch off SR-155.

People in that area are warned of “significant danger” and asked to “consider voluntarily relocating to a shelter or with family/friends outside of the affected area.”

There’s a Red Flag Warning for fire weather today until 8 p.m. for gusty winds and low relative humidity, with northwest winds in the 10-15 mph range and gusts up to 25, with humidity down in the 14-23 range.

The Greenhouse Fire, now at 2,500 acres, is still considered only 20 percent contained, and is now burning in timber.

Original story

A fire that started Thursday afternoon near the tribal greenhouses near the Columbia River east of the Colville Indian Agency moved rapidly over dry hills to School Loop Road about two miles away, burned the tribal recycling center and still threatens the correctional facility, the school, the tribal archives and the town itself, the Mt. Tolman Fire Center said.

A fire center report emailed at 8:30 p.m. Thursday details efforts to fight the blaze, which had burned about 1,200 acres of grass, sage and bitter brush as winds pushed it quickly across steep slopes toward Schoolhouse Loop Road, jumping it, burning the recycling center and threatening the correctional facility about a mile east of the headquarters of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation on SR-155.

The area around Schoolhouse Loop Road is under a Level 3 evacuation for imminent and life-threatening danger. Homes, Nespelem School, Tribal Corrections, Tribal Archives and Records, and the Tribal Transfer Station are also threatened.

Thirty-seven inmates from the Tribal Corrections Facility were evacuated and Corrections Command Center is closed due to heavy smoke. It will reopen Friday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The inmates were moved to the former middle school in Grand Coulee, which is a designated emergency shelter.

The cause of the fire, which was first reported at 2:40 p.m., is under investigation.

Mt. Tolman's evening report said the fire is moving northeast from the town of Nespelem and aircraft were dropping water and retardant to protect structures, the town and cultural resources, and fire lines have been bulldozed along the northern perimeter.

The Greenhouse Fire was considered only 20 percent contained.

About 60 people are involved in fighting it, including a six-person crew, a 20-person crew, two dozers, four fire engines and 11 aircraft, including a Very Large Air Tanker, with coordination occurring between the Tribes, BIA and local fire departments. A Type 2 Incident Command Team has been ordered and expected to arrive tomorrow.