SPOKANE VALLEY — Officials fighting the Spokane Valley wildfire that destroyed 13 homes say it was human-caused.
A small recreational fire rekindled when 40 to 50 mile per hour winds blew in Thursday evening, allowing embers to escape. The fire grew explosively after that until winds subsided Friday.
In a news release, fire supervisors say they the responsible party has been identified, but the identity was being withheld pending completion of the investigation. Once the investigation is completed, the state Department of Natural Resources will determine an appropriate course of action.
Fire spokesman Dale Warriner says the fire was not a campfire, but more like a backyard fire in a residential zone.
About 200 people remained evacuated from their homes Saturday. The fire, at 1,006 acres, wsa 60 percent contained.
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