Spokane County – State fire assistance has been mobilized under the Washington State Fire Services Resource Mobilization Plan in support of local firefighters working to contain the South Columbia Basin Fire located in Spokane County, near the towns of Cheney and Tyler. Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste authorized the mobilization of state firefighting resources on July 26, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. at the request of Deputy Fire Chief Bill Dennstaedt, Spokane County Fire District 3.
The South Columbia Basin Fire started on July 26, 2024, at approximately 1:39 p.m. This fire is estimated at 300 acres and growing. It is burning in timber and grass and is threatening homes, the railroad, Interstate 90 and the community of Tyler. Level 1, 2, and 3 evacuations are in effect at this time. The fire cause is currently under investigation.
The State Emergency Operations Center at Camp Murray remains activated to Level 2, partial activation, to help coordinate state assistance for the South Columbia Basin Fire. Mobilization specialists from the Fire Protection Bureau have ordered one strike team to aid in containment efforts. State Fire Marshal’s Office personnel are both en route to the scene and working remotely to coordinate the dispatch of resources.
Under the State Fire Services Resource Mobilization Plan, the Fire Protection Bureau coordinates the initial dispatch and continued administrative oversight of resources and personnel for the duration of the mobilization. The Mobilization Plan is implemented to provide a process to quickly notify, assemble and deploy fire service personnel, equipment and other resources from around the state when fires, disasters or other events exceed the capacity of local jurisdictions. More information about the Washington State Fire Services Resource Mobilization Plan is available at: http://www.wsp.wa.gov/all-risk-mobilization/.
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