TROY — Strong winds on the Cougar Creek Fire burning north of the Washington state border led to two small spot fires on the northeast side of the blaze, according to the Tuesday, July 30 update from fire officials.

These spot fires merged as firefighters engaged it southwest of Clarkston, Washington. Hand crews dug lines and placed hose lines around the perimeter. The spot fire now is contained with a perimeter of 1.5 acres, according to the update. Aviation resources and firefighters on the ground were used to fight the fire. 

The overall fire has grown to 17,602 acres and is 29% contained.

Due to favorable visibility and light winds, air operations began bucket drops earlier Monday than in previous days. In all, 311,334 gallons of water were dropped on the fire. 

Ten hand crews with 529 firefighters are on the blaze, along with 46 engines and 10 bulldozers.

On the southern end of the fire, structure protection continues around Grouse Flat. Crews are patrolling current control lines from Wenatchee Creek drainage, west toward the Forest Service 40 Road. Hand crews continue to mop up in this area in and around the fire edge. 

An indirect line on Mallory Ridge southwest of Anatone, Washington, has been completed to enhance contingency efforts. Crews have been making progress on mop-up operations and continue to patrol the southern portion of Hansen Ridge. 

The fire area Monday evening received some rain, amounting to 0.05 of an inch. This moisture helped slow fire progression but was not substantial enough for long-term beneficial effects. On Tuesday, an eastern wind will build higher pressure over the area, which will foster higher than average temperatures and lower relative humidity levels later in the week. The weather instability may promote active fire behavior.  

Forest closure descriptions and maps are available online at https://tinyurl.com/usfsalerts.

In Oregon, a Level 2 evacuation warning (“be ready”) remains in effect for Wallowa County, including all of Grouse Flats from Bear Creek Road north to the state line and the Garfield County, Washington, line and south to the Grande Ronde River. In Washington, evacuation notices are posted on the Asotin County Sheriff webpage and Asotin County Emergency Management Facebook page. Grande Ronde Road remains closed from Troy to the Highway 129 junction in Washington. For current information about the fire, go to the Cougar Creek Fire’s Facebook page.