Slide Ranch Fire near White Swan chars more than 3,000 acres, 16 structures lost

WHITE SWAN, Wash.– Over the weekend, the Slide Ranch Fire burned thousands of acres and created structural damage near White Swan.

The fire broke out around 3:45 p.m. on Saturday June 22, south of White Swan. It was pushed quickly by strong winds.

Today I spoke with the Department of Natural Resources to learn more about the fire.

Thomas Kyle-Milward said the fire is estimated at 3,054 acres and is 20 percent contained. He also said crews would continue to build a containment line to stop the fire from progressing.

“We will also begin a structural assessment to work toward identifying the 16 lost structures,” Kyle-Milward said.

Other than structural damage, no injuries or deaths were reported following the fire. Several services and personnel responded to the scene.

“We have about a hundred people deployed to this fire, we have 22 engines, a bulldozer, two crews and about 28 people,” Kyle-Milward said.

Level 3 evacuations were put in place for surrounding areas, leading to the opening of a Red Cross evacuation shelter at Harrah Elementary School.

DNR and Yakima Valley Emergency Management say evacuations starting at 8 a.m. have dropped to level one.

The MRN also confirmed to us that it will begin to resize the organization from tomorrow.

The cause of the fire has not been determined and remains under investigation.