Keller evacuated on Colville Reservation as Swawilla fire swells

A large wildfire is approaching a small town under evacuation on the Colville Indian Reservation.

Keller, Washington, was given a Level 3 evacuation notice Wednesday night. Residents are not forced to leave but are highly encouraged to do so immediately.

The Swawilla fire was still 2 or 3 miles away from town late Thursday afternoon, said Jill Cobb, an information officer for the Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team.

Manny Mendoza, operational section chief for the management team, said Thursday the fire could reach the town in the next day or two.

Lightning started the fire near the north bank of Lake Roosevelt last week, and it’s since grown to more than 30,000 acres as it moved through a combination of brush and timberland in Ferry and Okanogan counties.

The fire had been traveling north near Buffalo Lake but shifted east toward Keller Thursday.

The town of slightly more than 200 people includes several buildings owned by the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation including a health clinic and community center – as well as an elementary school, a gas station and a general store.

No structure damage had been reported as of Thursday afternoon. Cobb said crews were protecting structures through reinforcing containment lines and limited burns to reduce nearby fuel.

More than 400 personnel have been assigned to fight the fire.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday authorized federal funds to help the firefighting efforts.

The updated Level 3 evacuation zone extends from state Route 155 on the west side, everything south of Cache Creek Road and the area along Route 21 to the east.

Route 155 remains open, but Route 21 is closed south of Cache Creek Road.

The Keller Ferry is closed except to assist with evacuations and firefighting efforts, said Ryan Overton, spokesman for the state Department of Transportation.

An evacuation shelter at Pascal Sherman Indian School in Omak reached capacity Thursday. A second shelter is open at Lake Roosevelt High School in Coulee Dam, Washington.

Even those living outside the evacuation zone should be prepared to evacuate if needed, Cobb said.

“Often these events unfold quickly,” Cobb said. “Early planning is key.”

Dry and erratic shifting winds Thursday have made fighting the fire difficult and unpredictable, she said.

A smaller fire about 12 miles north is in better shape. The 3,800-acre Bridge Creek fire has strong fire lines surrounding it, with separate crews putting out hotspots.

The Colville reservation has been ravished by numerous wildfires in recent years.

The Manilla Creek fire in 2007 covered much of the same footprint as the Swawilla fire and was contained at 26,800 acres, according to state Department of Natural Resources data. The North Star and Tunk Block fires ravaged more than 240,000 acres of reservation land in 2015. And in 2021, three significant fires ranged in size from 36,000 to 58,000 acres.

For comparison, the Gray and Oregon Road fires in Spokane County last year were about 10,000 acres, though they affected a more populated area.