Lind wildfire: Evacuation orders lifted, fire contained

About six homes were lost in a fast-moving wildfire Thursday and the entire town of Lind, Washington was ordered to evacuate.

According to the Adams County Sheriff's Office, all Lind residents were ordered to evacuate the town (Level 3 - go now) and go to the Ritzville Grade School about 17 miles away. As of 10 p.m., those evacuation orders were lifted and everyone was cleared to return home. 

Deputies said around 1:30 p.m. that about six homes were destroyed. It was unclear if anyone was hurt.

The fire was contained and under control by 10 p.m. Crews will remain on scene throughout the night to make sure there are no hotspots.

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  (Adams County Sheriff's Office)

The Lind Fire had burned about 2,000 acres and was still growing, Washington Emergency Management said just before 3:00 p.m. Thursday.

Another fire burning about three miles south of Lind caused the Washington State Department of Transportation to close a portion of US 395 from Cunningham road MP 70 to Paha Packard Road MP 87.5.

DOT officials said the highway has since reopened.

Lind, with a population of about 500 people, is just off of US 395 and SR 21 - about 75 miles southwest of Spokane.

Temperatures were around 80 degrees when the fire broke out with winds around 20 mph.

Eastern Washington Wildfires

Crews in Eastern Washington have already been working to get multiple wildfires under control this week.

On Wednesday evening, crews with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources responded to the Cow Canyon Fire near Ellensburg. As of 1 a.m. Thursday, the fire grew from 200 acres to 1,500 acres throughout the night. About 50 residences are threatened.

A fire near Cheney, in Spokane County, has prompted Level 3 evacuation orders on Wednesday afternoon. The Williams Lake Fire is about 3,200 acres in size and 0% contained. It has threatened about 400 structures. 

The Vantage Highway Fire that has been burning since Monday afternoon in is 25% contained, fire officials said. As of Wednesday, the fire has burned 17,000 acres. The fire prompted a Level 3 evacuation notice for some residents, but it was lifted on Tuesday. Four structures have been lost in the fire, according to officials. 

This is a developing story and will be updated.