Crews work to contain 2,400-acre fire near Colville Reservation; evacuation notices lifted for regions near Soap Lake

The Rattlesnake fire burning on the Colville Indian Reservation near Lake Roosevelt is about 40 percent contained, fire officials said Sunday.

Don Malone, spokesman for the fire, said the blaze grew to about 2,400 acres Saturday night due to strong winds but about 250 personnel were able to build fire lines Sunday, stopping most of it from spreading.

The fire is burning mostly grass and brush in a remote area of the reservation, Malone said. No structures have been lost or are threatened.

Malone said firefighters hoped to have it 100 percent contained by Monday or Tuesday.

“And then we can start moving into that mop-up stage,” he said.

In Grant County north of Soap Lake, mandatory evacuations were lifted Sunday for residents in the Smokiam RV Park, at the northern tip of the lake. They were asked to leave Saturday when a then-1,000 acre fire threatened multiple structures.