SPOKANE — Firefighters, utility crews and insurance workers continued to work Wednesday within the areas burned by the Gray fire as residents returned to their properties.
The Gray fire was 48% contained as of Wednesday morning with 10,016 acres burned. Winds picked up Wednesday, with gusts hitting 25 mph, creating the potential for smoldering fuels to reignite, according to the fire management team. Crews continued to monitor hot spots and do structure assessments Wednesday.
Avista Utility crews finished their initial restoration work Tuesday and predicted to have natural gas work done by evening. Across the West Plains there were 259 homes and shop buildings that were either destroyed or too damaged to have electricity service restored. A full count of lost structures had not been completed as of Wednesday.
During the bulk of the work, Avista had up to 150 people out working to restore power, the company said.
Crews are in the process of restoring natural gas to customers in the area and will contact residents to do safety checks.
Residents should not attempt to relight their own natural gas, Avista said.
A community meeting is set for Wednesday night at Medical Lake High School, 200 E. Barker St., at 7 p.m. where representatives from local agencies will provide information on next steps.
Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels asked everyone displaced by either fire to register with the Red Cross, which will help them get connected with a case manager and additional resources as they become available.
The Oregon Road fire remained uncontained Wednesday, according to the Northeast Washington Fire information team handling the fires.
The fire near Elk has burned 11,021 acres as of Wednesday morning and was 0% contained. Nearly 900 people were working to suppress the fire.
Rain Tuesday helped fire crews make good progress in multiple areas, according to a Facebook post by Northeast Washington Fire Information.
Evacuations were reduced in the Elk area Wednesday afternoon, and current evacuations are posted on the Spokane County Emergency Management Facebook page.
A Red Cross evacuation center remains located at Riverside High School, 4120 E. Deer Park Milan Road, in Chattaroy.
The cause of both fires remains under investigation by the Department of Natural Resources and Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office is investigating the deaths of two individuals, one at each fire. Due to the number of officers needed to secure the fire zones, Cpl. Mark Gregory, a department spokesman, said the investigation may take longer than normal.
