15 homes lost, 1 person dead in Upriver Fire burning in Spokane Valley

SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — One person has died in the Upriver Fire in Spokane Valley.

On Tuesday at around 5:20 p.m., a family member asked authorities to conduct a welfare check at the home because they couldn’t get in contact with the person.

The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office says it learned the resident refused to leave following the Level 3 - leave now - evacuation order.

Deputies went to the address and found the home was completely burned but couldn’t look further until the next day due to extreme fire conditions.

On Wednesday, authorities went back to the home and found possible human remains inside.

Investigators are now working to identify the possible remains and determine a cause of death.

Authorities say that the Upriver Fire has burned an estimated 220 acres and over 15 homes have been destroyed.

The Upriver Fire is burning near Camp Sekani Park and at last check is about 10% contained.

Level 2 – be ready – and Level 3 – leave now – evacuation orders were issued for the following areas:

“We have over 75 personnel and 22 apparatus working overnight to protect our residents. We are extremely appreciative of the continued support we have received from our local and state partners” said Fire District 9 Chief Matt Vinci.

A wildfire evacuation center is now open at Spokane Valley United Methodist Church.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

“My thoughts are with the first responders fighting this blaze, and with the families evacuated from their homes,” Governor Bob Ferguson shared. He said he has requested fire management assistance declaration from FEMA, which would give Washington state access to federal funding for extraordinary costs in fighting the fire.

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