Cooler temps aid in battle against Spokane fires that have forced hundreds from their homes

SPOKANE, Wash. — Fire crews continued to make progress battling three wildfires overnight, strengthening containment lines and mopping up a spot fire, an incident commander said Tuesday.

SPOKANE, Wash. — Fire crews continued to make progress battling three wildfires overnight, strengthening containment lines and mopping up a spot fire, an incident commander said Tuesday.

But the fires are 0% contained, officials said. The three fires, in Spokane and Stevens counties, were fueled this weekend by gusty winds that exacerbated the fire risk.

There was no growth in two of those fires, while crews doused a spot fire near the Autumn Lane Fire and built containment lines around that blaze, which was around 5,603 acres Tuesday, said Joe Tieso, operations section chief for an incident management team.

Crews were patrolling part of the fire zone, and “it’s looking really good,” Tieso said at a morning briefing.

The three fires in the Spokane area — the Old Trails Fire, the Fairview Fire and the Autumn Lane Fire — together have burned more than 8,000 acres and destroyed hundreds of structures, according to fire officials.