Small wildfire near Cheney forces evacuations and threatens structures

Garrett Cabeza, The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
·1 min read

Aug. 2—Firefighters battled a 3-to-5-acre fire that was "rapidly escalating," threatening structures and forced evacuations Wednesday night east of Cheney, according to fire officials.

Firefighters and aircraft were dispatched around 5 p.m. to the brush fire in the area of Anderson and Cheney-Spokane roads, according to the Spokane County Fire District 3 Facebook page and the PulsePoint app.

Level 3 "leave now" evacuations were in place Wednesday night for residents from Cheney-Spokane Road to the Columbia Plateau State Park Trail area, the Facebook post stated.

The fire was difficult to access, said Eric Keller, Washington State Department of Natural Resources public information officer.

Firefighting aircraft were deployed Wednesday night, Keller said.

Crews also continued to work the 155-acre West Hallett Fire that started Monday; about 2 miles west of U.S.

Highway 195 and on the north side of Cheney-Spokane Road along railroad tracks have burned.

The fire was 30% contained Wednesday, according to the state Department of Natural Resources.