Justin de Ruyter, Spokane Fire PIO, jderuyter@spokanecity.org
Friday, August 4, 2023 at 8:59 a.m.
At 1:57 pm this afternoon, Spokane Fire Engine 4 was dispatched to 1405 South Rustle St for a report of smoke in the area. As firefighters drove up Sunset Hill, they upgraded the call to a brush fire response due to the visible smoke column. Upon arrival, they discovered a fire burning on the south side of Sunset Highway behind the Catholic Charities shelter. Fire behavior was high, with trees torching and numerous embers starting new spot fires.
Even with the extra resources arriving, the fire quickly overwhelmed firefighters, so additional alarms were called, ultimately going to three alarms with additional resources added. Other alarms also brought mutual aid resources from Spokane County, District 3, District 10, Bureau of Land Management, and the Department of Natural Resources.
The fire quickly jumped to the north side of Sunset Highway and started running towards houses up the hill off of West Deska Dr. Fire intensity was high, with trees torching and a complete burn of vegetation. Evacuation levels were raised to Level 3 "Go" to an area immediately surrounding the fire.
Air resources quickly arrived soon after, which consisted of fixed wings and helicopters dropping both retardant and water. The air resources were the key factor in keeping fire on the north side of the road out of the structures; without them, there most certainly would have been significant damage to the structures.
With the assistance of the air resources, firefighters could access the fire on the north side with hose lines and hand tools, successfully stopping the forward progression. Once the fire was contained with fire line, mop-up activities began next to the perimeter, working towards the interior.
The fire is under control and will be staffed tonight and tomorrow in the mop-up stage. Firefighters will watch the weather tomorrow for some upper-level disturbances that can lead to gusty winds in the region.
Evacuation levels were lowered to Level 1 for homes on the north side of Sunset Highway, and all other evacuations were lifted. Residents are encouraged to sign up for evacuation notices on their cell phones by registering with ALERT Spokane through the Spokane County Department of Emergency Management website.
There were no reported civilian or firefighter injuries and no value loss to structures. Value saved numbers are unavailable at this time, but will be in the millions.
