Southeast WA wildfires: Twin Sisters Fire contained as Tucannon Fire grows

Firefighters have achieved full containment on one wildfire in southeast Washington while shifting focus to a newer, growing blaze nearby, officials announced Wednesday night.

The Southeast Washington Interagency Incident Management Team reported that the Twin Sisters Fire, which started June 13 in Walla Walla County, is now 100 percent contained at 8,262 acres. The fire burned short grass and brush along Highway 730 into Oregon, but caused no injuries or structural damage. State mobilization ended midnight Tuesday, and remaining resources demobilized Wednesday, turning the scene over to local agencies with all evacuations dropped.

Meanwhile, crews are battling the Tucannon Fire in Columbia County, which sparked Tuesday afternoon near Highway 12 and Tucannon Road, near Dayton. Improved mapping puts the blaze at 7,732 acres with 10 percent containment. No primary structures have been damaged, though a few outbuildings were affected. No injuries have been reported.

On Wednesday, two afternoon flare-ups on the northeast and southeast corners were handled by ground crews, a dozer, and air resources. Firefighters successfully placed a cold trail along the northern edge, while crews on the southeast side are allowing the fire to burn south to consume steep, unburned pockets of fuel.

Officials warned of challenging weather ahead, with shifting winds Thursday and gusts up to 30 miles per hour expected Friday. A Temporary Flight Restriction is in place over the Tucannon Fire. Authorities emphasized that unauthorized drone flights are a federal crime and will ground all firefighting aircraft, noting, “If you fly, we can’t.”

Photo of Tucannon Fire courtesy Southeast Washington Interagency Incident Management Team

---

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

---

• 
• 
• 
• 

---

Elkhorn Media Group