Asotin County residents put on alert
With fires now at 28,000 acres, some people have been asked to evacuate, others are told to be ready to leave; Dixie Fire now at 11,000 acres
Fire crews from across Washington continue their fight against the Dry Gulch and Silcott wildfires burning in Asotin County.
The rapidly spreading wildfires had consumed about 28,000 acres as of Thursday night. Some residents along Peola and McGuire Gulch roads, west of Clarkston, have evacuated their homes, and six outbuildings in the Asotin Creek area were destroyed. About 450 structures are threatened.
Several other parts of Asotin County were put on alert and asked to prepare to leave at a moment’s notice if the fire heads toward the Clarkston Heights. Level 2 evacuations are in place south of Critchfield Road to Asotin Creek, which includes the Quail Ridge Golf Course neighborhood, Cherry Street area and Cleman’s Addition.
Level 3 evacuations are in place along parts of Asotin Creek Road, which means it’s time to go. Law enforcement officials from the Asotin County Sheriff’s Office are notifying residents who need to leave their homes.
The latest map provided by Asotin County Emergency Management Director Mark Janowski indicates Level 2 is in place in the Harlow Ridge area, Campbell Grade and George Creek Road, along with Cleman’s Addition.
Grace DeBusschere, a spokeswoman for the Southeast Washington Type 3 Incident Management Team, said firefighters are doing mop-up work and structure protection along Asotin Creek Road.
“They are working to establish and secure containment lines where necessary,” DeBusschere said Thursday night. “The Silcott Fire has been mostly holding in place. The Dry Gulch Fire is moving in a southwesterly direction. It jumped a few spots today, across the Asotin Creek area toward Cloverland.”
About 200 firefighters are battling the Dry Gulch and Silcott fires and camping near Asotin High School. Four strike teams and an additional five engines are on the scene, along with hand crews, heavy equipment, an air attack and three helicopters.
Chad Johnson, who lives near Cloverland, said the fire crews and local farmers made good progress Thursday. Several residents assisted firefighters with heavy equipment to help establish fire lines.
“Those planes and helicopters with their bucket drops have been a huge asset,” Johnson said. “Without those resources, we would’ve been in much worse shape. The fire growth and loss would’ve been more severe, for sure.”
Additional smoke reports are likely to be detected throughout the next few days as weather conditions continue to stay hot and dry throughout the weekend. Large plumes of smoke visible throughout the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley were caused by fires that were allowed to burn within the border of the overall blaze, officials said.
The Silcott Fire is estimated at 10 percent contained, and the Dry Gulch Fire, west of Asotin Creek Road, remains at zero percent containment. However, an update will be provided this morning with the latest information, and those numbers could change, DeBusschere said.
In north central Idaho, the Dixie Fire, located 40 miles southeast of Grangeville and 15 miles south of Elk City, grew by more than 4,000 acres Wednesday and is now estimated to be burning more than 11,000 acres as of 7 a.m. Thursday.
The fire is continuing to burn actively and spread in all directions, fire managers reported, and that was expected to continue Thursday under current conditions.
Aviation and ground resources are working to protect structures and improve roads and fuel breaks near Dixie, Comstock, Mallard Creek and several other private residences on the main Salmon River.
A Type 1 Northern Rockies National Incident Management Team assumed command of the Dixie Fire as of Thursday morning. An area closure for the area is in effect and most residents in the area have been evacuated.
More information on the fire can be found online at inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7608/.
