Firefighters are still working to contain a destructive wildfire in Western Grant County.
The Railroad Fire reportedly sparked at around 11 p.m. on Wednesday and has spread rapidly to cover 1,200 acres as of Friday morning.
The Grant County Sheriff’s Office says seven homes have been destroyed by the blaze, while nearly 300 more are still being threatened.
Many of the losses are in the town of Beverly, all of which remains on a Level 3 Evacuation Notice along with the entire town of Schawana, and a portion of Lower Crab Creek Road. A Level 2 Evacuation Notice has also been issued for the community of Smyrna.
The power is out in and around both Beverly and Schawana and those needing to cool off due to triple-digit temperatures are joining evacuees at an emergency shelter in Mattawa.
Crews under the management of a Type 3 Southeast Washington Interagency Incident Management Team utilized aerial support to make water and retardant drops on the fire on Thursday, but have given no updates on any official containment as of this morning.
No injuries or fatalities have been reported, although Sheriff’s spokesperson Kyle Foreman tells KPQ News that one person did suffer smoke inhalation as they were evacuating.
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Gallery Credit: AJ Brewster