OMAK — A wildfire has burned more than three square miles of timber and rangeland near Omak, and another fire has blackened nearly six times as much rangeland about five miles west of Coulee Dam.
Evacuation orders for homes at both fires were lifted Saturday, but residents were advised to be ready to evacuate if the situation worsens.
Koshare Lomnicki, a spokeswoman at the Omak-area firefighting headquarters, said the Green Lake burn covered 2,275 acres but did not appear to be growing much. The fire reportedly burned one outbuilding.
The fire started about 5:30 p.m. Thursday, reportedly in a pumphouse. The cause remained under investigation.
The Smith Lake fire west of Coulee Dam started Friday morning near State Route 174, scorched about 12,413 acres of grass and sagebrush, and was threatening high-voltage power lines Saturday, said Rick Isaacson, a spokesman for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
By Saturday afternoon the fire was about 75 percent contained, Isaacson said.
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