Update: Lambdin Fire grows to 12,776 acres with 25% containment
Update, Wednesday morning, July 1: The Lambdin Fire was 12,776 acres and 25% contained as of midnight Tuesday, June 30, according to the Southeast Washington Interagency Incident Management Team.
There were no changes to evacuation notices or road closures.
The night shift worked to monitor and patrol containment lines, and utility companies worked through the night to secure powerlines and place new poles as needed, the update said.
There is a temporary flight restriction in place, prohibiting aircraft including drones from flying in the area unless operated by an agency involved in firefighting efforts.
A state incident management team has taken over firefighting efforts on the Lambdin Fire, burning near Wallula Junction and Touchet.
Ben Shearer, a public information officer for the Southeast Washington Interagency Incident Management Team, confirmed the team took over at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, June 30.
The fire started sometime Monday morning, June 29.
As of Tuesday at about 3 p.m., evacuations and street closures had not changed from Monday night, except that U.S. 12 between Touchet and Wallula Junction reopened Monday night at about 10:10 p.m.
Shearer said the fire is 0% contained and has spread through wind.
"Grass and brush are the main fuel types," he said in a news release.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Shearer said the team did not have an updated estimate of the size of the fire, but said that it had grown since the most recent estimate of 1,800 acres at 7:30 p.m. Monday.
He said an updated estimate would be made later Tuesday evening.
Shearer said Tuesday afternoon that no residential structures have been lost in the fire. He didn't report any new injuries.
Walla Walla County Undersheriff Joe Klundt said Monday evening that there have only been a few minor injuries connected to the fire. He said four vehicles had crashed from the heavy smoke before U.S. 12 was shut down.
The Red Cross has opened two shelters for people displaced because of the fire.
One is at Touchet High School at 90 Champion St. in Touchet, and the other is at 202 W. First St., Suite B, in Prescott.
Current evacuation levels
Level 3, "Go Now," evacuation orders:
* Ash Hollow Road west and north of Dodd Road.
* North Johnson Road from Touchet North Road to Dodd Road.
* Pierce's Green Valley RV Park and the Cameo Heights bed and breakfast near milepost 310 of U.S. 12, about 10 miles west of Touchet.
Level 2, "Be Set," evacuation orders:
* Touchet North Road from Ash Hollow to Dodd Road.
* Area two miles east of Touchet North Road to State Route 124.
About evacuations
Level 3 is the highest level of evacuations used in Walla Walla County.
According to Walla Walla County Emergency Management, when a Level 3 evacuation is ordered, it's time to go. Residents should immediately start making their way out of danger.
At a Level 2 notice, residents should start taking steps to leave quickly if needed.
A Level 1, "Get Ready," warning means residents should start making plans. They should figure out where the danger is coming from and figure out how to leave without running directly into the danger.
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