Residents evacuate as fire near Grand Mound grows beyond 200 acres Tuesday

Residents were instructed to evacuate Tuesday afternoon as a large, wind-fueled brush fire near Grand Mound spread rapidly.

The fire, which started near 183rd Avenue Southwest at Wakly Lane Southwest in Rochester, began spreading just after 1:30 p.m. and had covered 200 acres before 5 p.m., according to a tweet from the state Fire Marshal’s Office.

West Thurston Regional Fire Authority Capt. Lanette Dyer said smoke was visible 2 miles away when crews arrived. The fire started picking up speed, she said, and changed directions with the wind.

“The wind changed faster than they could get ahead of it,” Dyer said.

Several local agencies have responded with ground crews and air drops, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a release.

The fire eventually reached Interstate 5, closing one northbound lane. Traffic through the area continued to move slowly just before 8 p.m.

Several roads were shut down, according to Thurston County Public Works, and drivers were asked to avoid the area.

One business and six additional buildings, including homes and barns, have been destroyed, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Officials asked residents of about 100 homes in a 3-mile radius to evacuate, and emergency services opened a shelter at Rochester High School for residents and pets. The Rochester LDS Church (18501 Paulson Street Southwest) is also available for residents displaced by the fire.

The Rochester Soup Kitchen (18214 Corvallis Street Southwest) is open until 10 p.m. Tuesday, and opens at 7 a.m. Wednesday morning.

The Sheriff’s Office asks that evacuees wait to return to their homes until given the all clear. No injuries had been reported late Tuesday evening.

This story was originally published August 22, 2017 at 3:07 PM with the headline "Residents evacuate as fire near Grand Mound grows beyond 200 acres Tuesday."