WA fire crews keep eye on weather

Steady breezes and warm temperatures helped push a wildfire in south-central Washington into more timber, as firefighters elsewhere in the state gained ground on blazes that have been burning for days.

Meanwhile, authorities in Spokane Valley identified the person they believe to be inadvertently responsible for starting last week's destructive fire there as Tracy Berg, a surgeon whose home was not damaged in the blaze that destroyed 11 houses.

The Cold Springs fire near Mount Adams has burned about 15 square miles, or 10,000 acres, in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and on the Yakama Indian Reservation, about 7 miles northeast of Trout Lake.

The fire had burned 8,000 acres by Monday evening, and while fire officials did not have an exact estimate of its size Tuesday afternoon, it likely continued its trend of spreading 2,000 acres each day, fire information officer Kim Smolt said.

First reported late Saturday, the fire was believed to have been started by lightning several days earlier.

Winds were pushing the fire to the east into thick timber stands on the Yakama reservation. No homes were threatened.

Authorities closed the Cold Springs trailhead, or south trail, which is a primary access point for climbers aiming to ascend the 12,276-foot peak.

A central Oregon crew assumed management of the firefighting effort Tuesday. About 400 firefighters were assigned to the blaze. No injuries have been reported.

The National Weather Service warned of "red flag conditions" through Wednesday for much of the Pacific Northwest region east of the Cascades, where warm temperatures, low humidity and sustained winds of up to 30 mph in some areas could increase fire danger.

However, crews gained ground on a number of fires in the region.

To the east, residents of some 2,300 homes east of Spokane were on notice they might have to evacuate if the Spokane Valley fire grows. However, the fire was 80 percent contained Tuesday at 1,006 acres, and crews hoped to fully contain it by Wednesday.

The fire began last Thursday from an "unapproved, un-extinguished" recreational fire, said Bill Clifford, deputy fire marshal with the Spokane Valley Fire Department.

Berg had supervised the fire the previous Monday, July 7, on a wooded, vacant lot adjacent to her property, Clifford said. It was not extinguished, and high winds on Thursday caused it to re-ignite and spread, he said.

Berg declined to tell The Spokesman-Review newspaper whether she has a fire pit. She said she had cooperated with investigators.

"I, like everybody, am just waiting until they do their investigation," she told the newspaper. "It's just been unbelievable."

About 160 homes remained evacuated near the Badger Mountain fire complex north of Wenatchee. The two fires there have burned 23 square miles, or 15,023 acres, but the Badger Mountain fire was 65 percent contained Tuesday. Crews fully contained the Browns Canyon fire on Monday evening. Some 380 firefighters were assigned to the fire complex.

Twelve miles east of Tonasket in far north-central Washington, the Cayuse fire was 80 percent contained at 1,768 acres. Fire spokesman Roland Emetaz said 410 firefighters and support personnel were working on the blaze.

The Willow Lakes fire on about 5,000 acres or nearly 8 square miles southeast of Soap Lake in central Washington was 75 percent contained, said Gary Garnant, spokesman for Grant County Emergency Management.