Firefighters continue to work Cheney fires, some residents asked to be prepared to evacuate

A wildfire that sparked Wednesday near Cheney grew in acreage, but evacuation levels were reduced Thursday.

The West Anderson fire, which started shortly after 5 p.m. Wednesday, was burning about 35 acres Thursday, up from about 8 acres Wednesday night, according to a Northeast Washington Interagency Type 3 Incident Management Team news release . The blaze, which is about one-half mile east of Cheney and north of Anderson Road, has yet to be contained.

Evacuation levels reduced from “leave now” (Level 3) to “be set to go” (Level 2) for areas along Anderson Road south of Cheney-Spokane Road, the release said.

Firefighters continued Thursday to gain better access to the fire as vehicle access was limited. They worked to enhance control lines around the fire and started to mop up the perimeter.

A 2-to-3-acre fire was reported around 1:30 p.m. Thursday on West Jennings and South Parker roads west of Spangle that forced Level 2 and 3 evacuations, according to fire officials. Those declined to 1 and 2 later in the afternoon, and were eventually called off altogether, according to Spokane County Fire District 3’s Facebook page.

Fire District 3 Chief Cody Rohrbach said no structures were lost and no injuries were reported as ground and air crews stopped the fire’s progression and reduced the threat. 

Another Cheney fire, the 155-acre West Hallett Fire that started Monday, was 60% contained Thursday, up from 30% containment Wednesday. It’s burning about 2 miles west of U.S. Highway 195 and on the north side of Cheney-Spokane Road. Evacuation levels were at level one, or “be ready to go.”

About 200 fire personnel are working the West Anderson and West Hallett fires, fire officials said. The cause of the blazes are under investigation.

The fires caused Fish Lake Trail to close.