A fast-moving brush fire ignited Friday afternoon in remote terrain west of the Lewiston-Clarkston area, forcing emergency responders to call in heavy equipment and air support as flames consumed hundreds of acres in challenging conditions.
The Pow Wah Kee Fire started just after 1:30 p.m. on July 18 near Pow Wah Kee Canyon, roughly seven miles southwest of the Alpowa Creek mouth in Asotin County, Washington. By Friday evening, the fire had grown to more than 800 acres, with estimates placing it at approximately 1,000 acres by Saturday morning.
Difficult Terrain Hampers Response Efforts
Asotin County Fire Chief Noel Hardin characterized the fire’s location as particularly challenging for firefighting operations. “It’s just a bad area to be working in,” Hardin said, noting the rugged canyon country that limits ground access and complicates suppression tactics.
Despite the difficult landscape, officials reported that homes in the vicinity face potential threat, though no immediate danger to structures was confirmed at the time of initial reports. “We do have homes potentially threatened but it’s not a direct threat right at the moment,” Hardin explained.
The fire spread rapidly through grass and brush across the inaccessible terrain. Hardin requested and received state resources including scooper aircraft and heavy helicopter support to assist local crews. Four hand crews were called in to relieve exhausted firefighting teams working the fire line.
Multi-Agency Response Mobilized
Multiple fire departments coordinated response efforts, including crews from Wheatland, Whitman County, Lewiston, Clarkston, Asotin, and Blue Mountain, along with the Washington Department of Natural Resources. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The Pow Wah Kee Fire emerged amid a broader regional fire activity that stressed resources across north central Idaho and eastern Washington. A 25,000-acre fire near Lyons Ferry and a 750-acre blaze near Little Goose Dam were also actively burning Friday, while a complex of fires south of Walla Walla continued to spread.
In more positive news, the Mile Marker 25 Fire near Lenore reached 100 percent containment, and the Greer Fire near Greer stood at 90 percent containment by the same reporting period.
Regional Air Quality Alert Issued
Smoke from the active fires prompted air quality advisories throughout the region. The Nez Perce Tribe and the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality both issued alerts warning residents of degraded air quality. Open burning has been prohibited across north central Idaho as fire danger remains elevated.
Residents in the affected areas should monitor local emergency management updates and heed evacuation orders if issued. The combination of multiple large fires and challenging summer conditions underscores the heightened fire risk facing the region, similar to recent wildfire activity near Highway 95 north of Lewiston.