SPOKANE, Wash. – The Aubrey White Fire near Indian Bluff in Spokane is currently 41 acres and 25% contained. It was originally spotted early Sunday afternoon. Since then, Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) says the fire crews are focused on securing the perimeter and addressing hot spots.
“We are in a good spot, the threat to structures is minimal,” DNR Representative Jessica Waltson said.
Despite this, efforts to secure the fire line are ongoing. Crews are using a grid system to tackle any remaining hot spots or flare-ups.
“There’s a little bit of heat still in the fire so there will be some smoke that folks will see as they do a burnout to secure the line a little bit more,” Waltson said.
As of Monday night, smoke can still be seen rising from the fire site, though the large columns from Sunday afternoon have diminished.
DNR is urging people to avoid the fire area due to potential hazards.
“You should not try to enter a fire area. We have hazard trees that could come down that are weakened by fire. We have crews working,” Waltson stated.
Evacuation orders remain in place, with areas west of the Spokane River under a Level 2 evacuation, meaning residents should be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. Everything to the east is under a Level 1 evacuation, advising residents to stay alert.
Fire conditions are influenced by various factors, including temperature, proximity to houses, and the type of fuel being burned.
“We had a lot of underbrush and undervegetation that contributed to the fire. You are not seeing so much timber — it was not a heavily timbered area,” said Walston.
The unique terrain of the area poses additional challenges. “Fire travels fast uphill — and so the homes at the top of the ledge are at risk,” said Walston.
Helicopters equipped with water buckets are being used to keep a wet line and prevent the fire from climbing. There are 20 crews currently working to contain the fire.
A local resident on Indian Bluff Road, who experienced the firestorm of ’91, expressed concern for her home, though she declined to speak on camera.
“We had a report of a little bit of structure damage on a little bit of siding, but other than that, we haven’t had any more structure situations,” Walston added.
The hope is to make enough progress to lift evacuation orders by Tuesday morning.
