Wildfire sparks near Palisades Park in west Spokane

A wildfire that sparked in the Palisades Park area west of downtown Spokane Friday night was threatening hundreds of structures within hours.

The Upper Cemetery fire, near Greenwood Memorial Terrace, was reported at 5 p.m. by the Northeast Washington Interagency Communication Center. Forward progress had been stopped by Friday night, fire officials said.

The blaze reached 50 acres by 8 p.m. and was threatening 546 structures, fire officials said. It wasn’t immediately clear how many of those were homes.

Rimrock Drive shut down, and Life Center Spokane church and Palisades Christian Academy were evacuated, along with many residents.

Crews blocked the fire along a ridge behind the school and were putting out hot spots around 8 p.m.

Spokane County Emergency Management issued a Level 2 evacuation notice for the area, meaning residents should be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice. The area is west to Rimrock Drive, east to Government Way, south to Greenwood Road and north to Sandridge Avenue. A lower Level 1 evacuation warning was also in place for some areas.

A smoke column could be seen from downtown Spokane, with onlookers stopping to observe from the Monroe Street Bridge. In the fire zone, spectators also stood across the street from Palisades Christian Academy in the parking lot of the church Life Center Spokane.

At about 7:30 Friday evening, flames were close to the doorstep of the school.

Ian Nesteruk attended grades three through eight at the Christian school some 20 years ago. But Friday, he looked west across the road as the flames slowly inched down the hill at the school’s rear.

“I Facetimed my parents and showed them because my cousins go here. My friends. My family,” Nesteruk said with folded arms. Multiple streams from fire hoses could be seen behind the school spraying water dozens of feet up the hillside, holding back the flame.

Nesteruk said he was glad the fire broke out when it did because he believed the school was empty. Much of the staff and students are gone, as only day care services are offered in the summer months.

As he spoke, one straggly, lifeless tree caught fire between the onlookers and the school. Short lived, the flame soon fizzled out.

After being born in Ukraine, Nesteruk and his family emigrated to Spokane when he was a boy. He has since grown accustomed to wildfires.

“We’re used to it, but this one is close to home because I live five minutes down the road. And look, downtown is right there,” he said, gesturing to the east and the buildings of Spokane’s main business district.

As Nesteruk finished his thought, a plane swooped overhead, dominating sound waves in the vicinity with a loud engine. It dumped a brilliant pink substance over the school.

The sight reassured him.

“With all these planes and helicopters in the air – we’ll be all right,” he said. “Things are under control, I think.”

Rafael Salgado has volunteered as a firefighter in the Spokane area for 10 years. But the sights from a lookout near the intersection of Rimrock Drive and Greenwood Road was a little different than what he has experienced.

“It’s close to the city. That’s why you see fire-retardant planes and helicopters carrying buckets,” Salgado said at about 7 p.m. Friday as he pointed to a helicopter circling the column of smoke to the north with a bucket tethered underneath, a thin flow of water spilling behind. “They can control it. They work fast.”

Although he’s spent a decade putting out flames and 15 years living in Spokane, he said he hasn’t grown accustomed to wildfires.

“Each one is different. I mean, the helicopters can typically get water from the rivers, but today, the rivers are pretty dried up,” he said. “So they’re probably going to have to go a little farther away to the lakes in the area.”

Before heading to his home on the South Hill, Salgado waited to ensure danger had left the residential area.

“We’re going to wait a few minutes longer to see where it’s at and to see if we have to evacuate,” he said. “I mean, we have to really consider these fires.”

A large fire also broke out Friday afternoon in the Cheney area. The National Weather Service had issued a red flag warning for the area Thursday because of strong winds and dry conditions, but the warning was not in effect Friday.

Ryan Rodruck, spokesman for the state Department of Natural Resources, said five engines initially responded to the Upper Cemetery fire with air support.

DNR coordinated with Spokane County Fire District 10 to battle the blaze.

With additional reporting from Spokesman staffers Alexandra Duggan and Mathew Callaghan.