YAKIMA COUNTY, Wa.- UPDATE 2:13 P.M
According to Tim McKern, the Fire Information Officer for Washington Incident Management Team #3, crews continue to battle the fire at 1980 Slide Ranch in the White Swan area, which began around 3:30 p.m. on Saturday on Yakama Nation land.
As of Sunday, the fire is 0% contained, and crews from around Yakima County and firefighters from western Washington have been working to create a “Containment line” to protect nearby residents from fire danger.
The fire is reportedly highly wind-driven, with crews facing challenges posed by steep terrain, canyons, and livestock. Officials have confirmed the loss of 16 structures but say no deaths have been reported.
Mckern explains that the Red Flag Warning, which warns of low humidity and fast winds, means that fires can spread quickly and become critical. He advises citizens to adhere to evacuation notices and stresses the importance of having a plan for what to do if evacuation notices increase in severity.
Firefighters ask that the public continue to avoid the area.
UPDATE 11:45 A.M.
According to Yakima Valley Emergency Management, evacuation levels remain in place for the White Swan area.
Yakima County Fire District #5 confirmed that the White Swan fire reached 3,200 acres and is actively burning. Additionally, multiple power poles are down.
Officials estimate that between 13 and 17 structures have been destroyed with some of them being residential properties.
Crews ask the public to avoid the area and keep the roads clear for emergency vehicles.
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ORIGNAL COVERAGE:
Due to nearby fire hazards, officials have issued two separate evacuation notices for the White Swan area.
According to Yakima Valley Emergency Management, the first evacuation was a Level 3 “Go Now” issued Sunday around 6 p.m. for residents of the 750 Mission Road area in White Swan. Officials asked residents leave their property immediately.
The second evacuation was classified as a Level 2 “Get Set” notice issued for the White Swan and Harrah areas around 6:30 p.m. YVEM advised residents to remain alert and prepare family and pets for evacuation.
Officials have set evacuation limits for both the 750 Mission Road and Harrah areas.
The Level 3 “Go Now” evacuations apply to the following roads in the 750 Mission Road and White Swan areas:
Intersection of Fort Road and TecumsehSouthbound through Tecumseh to the intersection of Tecumseh Road and Pumphouse RoadWest on Pumphouse Road to Signal Paek RoadNorth on Signal Peak to Fort RoadEast on Fort Road to Tecumseh Road
The Level 2 “Get Set” evacuations apply to the following roads in the White Swan and Harrah areas:
The intersection of West Wapato and Harrah RoadWest Wapato to Stephenson RoadSouthbound on Stephenson Road to Branch RoadWestbound on Branch Road to North White Swan RoadSouthbound on North White Swan Road to Fort RoadEastbound on Fort Road to Harrah Road
A designated Emergency Evacuation Shelter has been established at Harrah Elementary School for residents being evacuated from the White Swan area.
Yakama Nations Networks, who initially reported several fire-related outages in the White Swan area, has opened their rodeo grounds for anyone needing to evacuate their animals.
To monitor the situation, click here.
This is a developing story, which means information could change. We are working to report timely and accurate information as we get it.
