TROY — The Cougar Creek Fire burning just north of the Washington state line experienced limited growth on Saturday, but firefighters expected fire activity to pick up somewhat on Sunday, July 28.

The fire, burning about 35 miles southwest of Dayton, Washington, has grown to 15,703 acres, but containment has increased from 26% to 29%. Full containment is not expected until Oct. 1.

The fire was first reported on July 15. Its cause remains under investigation.

Sunday’s update from the fire reported limited fire growth in the north and northeast on Saturday, and the same was true in the south near Grouse Flat. But firefighters believe fire activity will pick up Sunday as winds increase.

On the fire’s western flank, indirect line construction is underway, from Grouse Flat to the Three Forks Trailhead. (Indirect lines involve building control lines some distance away from the main fire edge and burning out the intervening fuel.)

To the south, mop-up operations have begun outside of Grouse Flat, with heavy equipment completing dozer lines. On the western front, firefighters were able to engage the fire directly for containment.

Ground crews are continuing their structure protection efforts. The fire has destroyed one residence and still threatens 153. Three minor structures have been destroyed and five more damaged; 409 minor structures are threatened.

Meanwhile, a new lightning ignition about 3 miles west of the Cougar Creek Fire now is dubbed the First Creek Fire. The blaze is being battled with rappellers, while helicopters provided water drops. The First Creek Fire is burning midway up a ridge and its growth potential could be influenced by winds.

A cold front was expected to pass through the area Sunday afternoon, bringing a slight chance of thunderstorms Monday evening into Tuesday. The front will increase relative humidity in the area, but hot and dry conditions are expected to return on Wednesday. 

In all, 643 firefighters are working on the fire.

A section of northern Wallowa County remains under a Level 2 evacuation, in which residents are urged to be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice. The area includes all of Grouse Flat from Bear Creek north to state and county lines all the way to the Grande Ronde River. The Grande Ronde Road is closed to Troy to the Highway 129 junction in Washington. Information on Wallowa County evacuation notices can be found on the Wallowa County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.

Various areas in Washington state’s Asotin and Garfield counties also are under some level of evacuation notice. Information on those can be found on the Asotin County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page and the Garfield County Emergency Management Facebook page.

For information about the fire, go to the Cougar Creek Fire Facebook page.