Sunday AM Update: Burnout Operations Completed on South Flank of Rocky Reach Fire

7/15/18 9:00 a.m. UPDATE: DNR crews completed a burnout operation along the south flank of the fire that the team says went well. According to the fire information's Facebook page, it was a quiet night with work progressing nicely. Overnight crews were patrolling the fire. All LEVEL 1 "fire advisory" notifications remains the same for Burch Mountain area residents at this time.

7/14/18 5:00 p.m. UPDATE: The Southeast Washington Interagency Incident Management Type 3 team has taken over the battle against Rocky Reach Fire which PIO Max Jones says is 300 plus acres, but probably significantly more. She says they are flying over the fire to map it and get an accurate idea of size. The fire is zero percent contained, but the team did conduct a burnout operation on Burch Mountain that Jones says that went well. The Washington State Department of Transportation has opened Highway 97a but is asking drivers to be cautious since there are emergency personnel in the area. Somewhere between 180 and 215 personnel have been dispatched to fight the fire.

ORIGINAL STORY:

Level 1 evacuation notices are in place for nearly 250 residents in the Burch Mountain Road and Ohme Garden Road area due to the Rocky Reach fire. The blaze has also closed Highway 97a. Washington State Patrol says drivers can use Highway 97 as an alternative. DNR has sent a Type 3 Incident Management Team to take control of fighting the fire Saturday morning. Crews were planning on conducting a coordinated firing operation along the south flank of the fire in the Burch Mountain area during the morning. The latest estimate has the fire between 300-500 acres burning in grass or brush.