Rutter Canyon Fire 25 percent contained

If all goes well, firefighters expect to mop up the Rutter Canyon Fire north of Spokane in two or three more days. The fire broke out Tuesday afternoon and quickly burned an estimated 120 acres of state, county and private land off Country Hills Lane — north of Indian Trail and east of Nine Mile Falls. Firefighters had stopped the blaze from spreading by Wednesday morning, but a GPS survey now pegs the size at 155 acres, said Guy Giffords, a spokesman for the state Department of Natural Resources. This morning the fire is 25 percent contained, Giffords said. Firefighters on Wednesday secured trails around the main fire and two spot fires. “Yesterday went very well,” he said. About 200 personnel from Spokane and Kootenai counties remain on scene, battling steep, rocky terrain and a trees that threaten to drop branches or fall over. The fire is in a “box” canyon, making it difficult to safely funnel in crews. Level 3 evacuation orders — the most urgent — were lifted Tuesday evening. Level 2 orders, which mean “get ready,” are being lowered to Level 1 this morning, which means the fire danger has subsided. The fire initially threatened nearly 100 homes.