Fire north of Davenport grows to 3,600 acres Friday

The Angel Springs fire in Lincoln County grew to more than 3,600 acres Friday, prompting mandatory evacuations for several surrounding areas.

Evacuations were raised to level three – meaning people should evacuate immediately – for residents in the Mill Canyon, Bald Ridge, Bull Run and Little Falls Dam areas, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.

The fire, which is burning 7 miles northeast of Davenport, continued to spread through the day because of strong winds and low humidity, according to the Washington State Patrol.

The fire was caused by a combine that caught fire in a wheat field, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said.

Firefighters from Lincoln County Fire Districts 4 and 5, the state Department of Natural Resources and federal and local agencies as well as multiple aircraft were assisting with fire suppression, according to the state patrol. More than 135 fire personnel were assigned to the fire, with 15 fire engines, three hand crews, two water tenders and two dozers at the scene.

The fire – which was 80 percent lined and zero percent contained as of Friday afternoon – threatened homes, crops and infrastructure. It spread to parts of nearby Tolstoy Farms, an organic farming community on Mill Canyon Road.

“The fire came right up to one guy’s house,” said Diane Reuter, a Tolstoy Farms resident. “The police wouldn’t let him grab anything. It was pretty extreme and is still a danger.”

Reuter said Friday morning the community is evacuating the area.

“Our cars are packed and ready to go,” she said.

The Lincoln County Fairgrounds were open to provide shelter for evacuated residents, pets and livestock.

One structure was destroyed in the fire and six were threatened, according to the sheriff’s office.

Additional resources were en route from around the state Friday afternoon to assist with containment, according to the Northeast Washington Type Incident Management Team.

Firefighters and fire protection aircraft continued to provide structure protection to residences. Fire crews received assistance from local farmers to establish containment lines through utilization of their equipment, according to the state patrol.