Fire along SR 174 blocks highway

A fire broke out along SR 174 on the hill in the canyon between Grand Coulee and Wilbur about 4:30 p.m.

The road was closed and traffic continued to back up until at least 6 p.m. while firefighters fought the blaze. A large helicopter equipped with an attached bladder and a hose for loading it repeatedly dropped loads of water on the fire, high on the steep, rocky hillside.

Another aircraft, a fix...