UPDATE: August 3 at 4:55 p.m.
The Hope Fire near Kettle Falls has reached 95% containment, covering 8,177 acres.
The fire was officially handed over to local resources on August 3 at 7 a.m.
Firefighters will continue patrolling and mopping up along the northern sections.
All evacuation levels for the Hope Fire have been lifted, and Northport Flat Creek Road is open.
However, 15 Mile Road, Lael Road and Bull Hill Road remain closed to outside traffic.
The Blackhawk Fire, located about 4 miles southwest of Northport, started on July 31. It has burned approximately 31 acres and is managed by the same team overseeing the Hope Fire. Containment for the Blackhawk Fire remains at zero percent.
The fire will transition to local management on August 3, at 8 p.m.
UPDATE: July 31, 2025 at 4:23 p.m:
Helicopters continue to assist firefighters battling the Hope fire, but the presence of drones is causing disruptions.
On Monday, fire officials said a drone was spotted in the fire area, grounding helicopters that could otherwise aid firefighting efforts.
Fire crews have made significant progress, especially on the northwest and north sides, where mop-up operations have reached a depth of 50 feet.
Crews are also patrolling the southern edge and nearby structures.
The fire, still under investigation, stands at 8,177 acres with 79% containment.
All evacuation levels have been lifted, and Northport Flat Creek Road is open.
However, roads such as 15 Mile Road, Lael Road, and Bull Hill Road remain closed to outside traffic.
UPDATE: July 28, 2025 9:39 am:
Burn out operations were successful on the Hope Fire over the weekend, with containment on the fire increasing to 79%.
Crews will conduct infrared scans of the fire Monday to measure surface temperatures and identify remaining hot spots and risks to fire line.
Evacuations for the fire are still in effect.
UPDATE: July 26, 2025 11:45 a.m.
The Hope Fire is now 75% contained, with the fire size reduced by 7,880 acres.
Crews said they will conduct a burnout near 1520 Lael Road. Evacuations remain in place at this time.
UPDATE: July 23, 2025 10:20 a.m.
The Hope Fire has been held at 7,891 acres and is now 65% contained.
Yesterday, firefighters completed the contingency line on the western flank of the fire. Additionally, firefighters continued mop-up efforts in the Hamlett Road area.
On the northern side, firefighters built and strengthened hand lines down to Crown Creek, while on Cougar Mountain, firefighters secured and patrolled the line down to the 200 Road.
Today, firefighters will be strengthening lines on Cougar Mountain and the north side of the fire. In the northwestern area of the fire, crews will continue to build lines. Across of the rest of the perimeter, crews will patrol and mop up containment lines and around structures.
UPDATE: July 21, 1:05 p.m.
Thanks to some rain in the area, evacuations have been lowered for the Hope Fire.
Stevens County Emergency Management reports all Level 3 alerts have been lifted, Level 2 alerts are active for northeast of Lael road past Pepoon Lake and everything south of Lael road is now at a Level 1.
Northport Flat Creek road is still closed to outside traffic.
The fire is currently reported to be 7,891 acres large and is 45% contained.
UPDATE: July 20, 9:52 a.m.
The Hope Fire has not grown in size and is now 35% contained.
Firefighters said the fire is fully lined, though some of the line is indirect, and significant work remains. Crews completed a dozer line on the northwest corner of the fire, allowing for a tactical firing operation to strengthen control lines in the area.
Patrols around structures continued, and another dozer line was finished between Road 200 and Ansaldo Lake.
UPDATE: July 19, 2025 10:18 a.m.
Cooler, moist conditions today are expected to benefit fire suppression efforts at the Hope Fire about 5 miles southwest of Northport, which is 7891 acres and at 25% containment, according to a report by the Northwest Incident Management Team 8.
Evacuations remain in effect, but some level 2 notices were relaxed to level 1 near Hill Loop Road. The Lael Road and Crown Creek Road are closed for public safety.
Yesterday, while screws worked on mop up at the southern end of the fire and worked on fire lines around the west flank, an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) drone conducted an Infrared Flight around the structures on the east flank looking for undetected heat.
Meanwhile, firefighters built a line along the northwestern corner of the fire, following Lael Road eastward into the Crown Creek drainage. Tactical burning operations were used to secure the line along the ridgetop.
During the night, crews reported quiet conditions except at a cedar grove along Lael Road, where falling trees stopped crews from entering the area.
Today, the Northwest Incident Management Team 8 expects that the cooler, moist conditions will benefit fire suppression efforts. Mop up conditions will continue, with an emphasis on existing control lines and structures.
On the northwestern corner, crews will construct a handline and decide whether or not tactical burning would be needed to secure the line.
Near Cougar Mountain, the emphasis will be on completing control lines and ongoing mop up.
Contingency lines around the north and west side of the fire will continue to be built.
Northwest Incident Management Team 8 said that residents within fire footprints should call the fire informant line at 509-219-9554 if they find smoke or hot spots near structures, or if they have other concerns.
UPDATE: July 16, 2025 9:54 a.m.
Erratic winds once again spread fire past containment lines at the Hope Fire yesterday, which has now grown to 7,414 acres.
Level 1, 2 and 3 evacuations are still in place.
Firefighters yesterday were able to line the spot fire that appeared ahead of the northeastern finger and held it to 4.5 acres.
Crews also used multiple retardant drops from air support to construct and improve direct lines near Cougar Mountain.
On the eastern flank, the containment line held against the wind and mop-up efforts were able to continue.
Today, crews will continue working on spot fires near the northwest while looking for opportunities to build a direct line between the 1520300 Road and Flat Creek.
Meanwhile, heavy equipment and hand crews will work on constructing fire lines around the north side of Cougar Mountain, with the goal of tying it into the FS 240 Road.
Mop-up efforts and efforts to improve fire lines will continue on the southwestern and eastern flanks as well.
There are currently 929 personnel on scene. The fire is about 15 miles north of Kettle Falls and 5 miles southwest of Northport.
UPDATE: July 15, 2025 9:39 a.m.
The Hope Fire, about fifteen miles north of Kettle Falls and five miles southwest of Northport, has been burning for a week now and has grown to 7,236 acres. The fire is currently 15% contained.
Northwest Incident Management Team 8 is hosting a community meeting at Lyn Kaste Gould Memorial Park in Northport at 6 p.m. tonight, July 15. They said that community members are encouraged to attend and that the meeting will be recorded and posted on Facebook for those unable to attend.
The Red Cross Evacuation Center at Kettle Falls Middle School is not only open on an on-call basis. The Animal Evacuation Center is still open at Northeast Washington Fairgrounds.
Level 1, 2 and 3 Evacuations are still in place.
Northwest Incident Management Team 8 said that windy conditions contributed to increased fire behavior yesterday, leading to more fire moving north of Cougar Mountain.
Today, fire personnel will continue to work on the north side of the fire by Cougar Mountain, while building fire lines where conditions allow.
They will also continue to use heavy equipment to construct a dozer line around the northeast corner and begin bringing it across the north side.
Hand crews will also work to contain a two-acre spot fire that appeared on the northwest corner of the fire. Crews will also work to improve and build containment lines around the eastern and western flanks as well.
The public is encouraged to avoid the immediate fire area to allow for firefighter safety.
Update: July 13, 10:30 a.m.
The Hope Fire is still burning, having scorched more than 6,526 acres, with 0% containment. Evacuation orders remain in effect.
According to fire officials, Level 1, 2 and 3 evacuations are still in place.
UPDATE: July 12, 10:40 a.m.
The Hope Fire, a wildfire about 5 miles southwest of Northpoint, Washington, has grown to 6,365 acres and is still 0% contained.
The same Level 3 evacuations are still in effect and the public is encouraged not to travel on roads near the fire.
Shelters are still open at the Kettle Falls Middle School for the Red Cross Evacuation Center and at the Northeast Washington Fairgrounds for the Animal Evacuation Center.
Yesterday, firefighters on the ground used heavy equipment to secure the southwestern flank of the fire by building direct and indirect lines. Air tankers supported their efforts with retardant drops.
Towards the southeastern section of the fire, structural task forces did mop up work around homes while crews strengthened the handline.
To the north, fire behavior became more moderate, allowing fire personnel to be more direct. Dozers worked to connect Bull Hill Road and the 200 Road, while hand crews strengthened the line near Rattlesnake Creep using helicopter support, according to this morning’s report by Northwest Incident Management Team 8.
Today, according to the report, fire teams will work north along the western side of the fire to build direct and indirect lines. They will also have air tanker support if they need it.
Dozer line construction will begin in the northwest corner of the fire, working toward Lael Road.
At the head of the fire in the north, crews will be as direct as possible, establishing and strengthening the containment line with help from air resources.
On the fire’s eastern flank, structural teams will continue mop up operations around home while other crews monitor and strengthen fire lines and catch potential spot fires.
At the south, the Columbia River is still acting as a “strong natural containment feature.”
The report said, due to the strategic importance of Flagg Mountain, crews will do preliminary fuel mitigation work around communication structures as a long-term planning contingency.
Hope Fire map July 12 from Northwest Incident Management Team 8.
UPDATE: July 11, 2025 9:52 a.m.
The Hope Fire has gone from 6,674 acres to 5,634 acres, according to an update from Northwest Incident Management Team 8, who took command of the fire at 6 a.m. this morning.
However, the fire is still 0% contained and there are currently 476 personnel working on it, aiming towards full suppression.
Yesterday, teams worked to establish fire lines and to protect structures from fire activity. Helicopters and air tankers supported firefighters on the ground when conditions allowed.
Crews used dozers and handlines to reinforce the southwestern corner, while hotshot crews worked up the western flank to establish containment lines. The Columbia River acted as a natural containment feature to the south, according to the report.
Today, crews plan to concentrate on holding and building on progress by reinforcing fire direct lines and constructing indirect lines.
Structural protection and mop-up will also continue.
Firefighters plan to keep Northport Flat Creek Road open and clear of debris while working to open up Lael Road through the middle of the fire.
Level 3 evacuation orders are still in place.
Shelters can be found at the Red Cross Evacuation Center at the Kettle Falls Middle School and the Animal Evacuation Center is at the Northeast Washington Fairground.
UPDATE: July 10, 2025 10:42 a.m.
The Hope Fire has grown to 6,674 acres and is still 0% contained, according to an update from Stevens County Emergency Management.
They added that Northport Flat Creek road is closed where it connects to Highway 25 South to Gilmore and asked people to avoid going through the barriers, with the exception of people who live in the area.
They also reported that Kettle Falls around the High School and Middle School is congested with traffic because of the amount of people who are working on the fire.
277 people are currently working on the fire and there are several brush trucks, water tenders and other emergency vehicles on the roads, they reported.
UPDATE: July 10 at 10:00 A.M.
Firefighters made progress Tuesday night on the Hope Fire, holding firelines near China Bend and containing a 15-acre spot fire. The blaze remains about two miles southwest of Flagstaff Mountain.
Crews focused on structure protection, reinforced lines, and scouted new containment options, especially in steep terrain near the river.
Increased winds on the north and east sides led to more active fire behavior, but firefighters widened roads and built indirect lines near Pepoon and Ansaldo Lakes.
Aerial support was limited due to smoke and fire activity, but crews continued work across all fronts, conducting mop-up and preparing for burn-out operations to secure control lines.
UPDATE: July 9 at 4:00 P.M.
A multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional team that manages major or complex incidents took control at 6:00 a.m., with additional crews actively working on containment.
Stevens County Emergency Management has advised residents to stay updated on evacuation orders and fire developments.
New maps show the Level 3 and Level 2 evacuation zones that were set today due to high temperatures and gusty winds.
Level 1 stretches from Snag Cove to where Northport Flat Creek connects with Hwy 25.
A third map shows the fire has increased in size to the north and east.
Road closures are in place at Northport Flat Creek, blocking through traffic north of Snag Cove at Gilmore and where it meets Hwy 25.
A shelter for evacuees is available at the blue building behind Kettle Falls Middle School, with support from Search and Rescue and the Red Cross.
UPDATE: July 9 at 9:01 A.M.
Aerial resources will be in the area of the Hope Fire using retardant and water to protect structures.
Crews will continue to construct a fireline and the primary focus for Wednesday is public firefighter safety, the DNR reports.
Level 3 evacuations are in place and the Steven’s County Sheriff has made direct contact with those who had to be evacuated.
Those evacuated can go to the Red Cross evacuation shelter at the Kettle Falls Middle School, 105 W. 11th Ave.
An animal evacuation shelter is also available at the Northeast Washington Fairgrounds, 317 W. Astor Ave, in Colville.
UPDATE: July 8 at 9:30 P.M.
The fire has grown to 3,200 acres. The evacuation zone is pictured.
Evacuation Zone
UPDATE: July 8 at 6:30 P.M.
Press release from the State Fire Marshal’s Office
Stevens County – State fire assistance has been mobilized under the Washington State Fire Services Resource Mobilization Plan in support of local firefighters working to contain the Hope Fire in Stevens County, near the town of Evans. Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste authorized the mobilization of state firefighting resources on July 8, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. at the request of Fire Chief Herb Hipler, Joint Fire Protection District Ferry County 3 and Stevens County 8.
The Hope Fire started on July 8, 2025, at approximately 1:15 p.m. This fire is estimated at 2,100 acres and growing. It is burning in grass, brush, and timber and is threatening homes. Level 2 and 3 evacuations are in effect at this time. The fire cause is currently under investigation.
The State Emergency Operations Center at Camp Murray is activated to Level 2, partial activation, to help coordinate state assistance for the Hope Fire. Mobilization specialists from the Fire Protection Bureau have ordered five wildland strike teams to aid in containment efforts. State Fire Marshal’s Office personnel are both en route to the scene and working remotely to coordinate the dispatch of resources.
Under the State Fire Services Resource Mobilization Plan, the Fire Protection Bureau coordinates the initial dispatch and continued administrative oversight of resources and personnel for the duration of the mobilization. The Mobilization Plan is implemented to provide a process to quickly notify, assemble and deploy fire service personnel, equipment and other resources from around the state when fires, disasters or other events exceed the capacity of local jurisdictions. More information about the Washington State Fire Services Resource Mobilization Plan is available at http://www.wsp.wa.gov/all-risk-mobilization/.
UPDATE: July 8 AT 4:59 P.M.
Several resources are responding to the Hope Fire, which is now reported to be 2,161 acres large.
UPDATE: July 8 AT 4:31 P.M.
The Hope Fire is now over 1,000 acres large, DNR Communications Manger, Ryan Rodruck reports.
UPDATE: July 8 AT 4:06 P.M.
A Red Cross shelter has been opened at the Kettle Falls Middle School as level three and level two evacuations are in place.
The Hope Fire near Northport is reported to be 600 acres large as of Tuesday afternoon.
Northport Flat Creek Road will be closed and people are asked to stay away as fire crews work in the area.
Ryan Rodruck, communications manager with DNR, tells NonStop Local the fire is growing quickly and is threatening structures.
The fire, reported Tuesday around 1:15 p.m., is burning in dry terrain.
We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.
UPDATE: July 8 AT 3:50 P.M.
Stevens County Emergency Management has announced Level 3 (LEAVE NOW) evacuation orders in the area of Three Pines Youth Camp as the fire is threatening structures. The affected area is pictured.
Evacuation Zone
A shelter is being set up at Kettle Falls Middle School, Stevens County Emergency Management.
NORTHPORT, Wash. – A new wildfire, called the Hope fire, has emerged approximately 10 miles southwest of Northport.
Fire crews are actively responding, with air units being deployed to combat the blaze, Stevens County Emergency Management said in a release.
Residents in the vicinity are advised to prepare for potential evacuation.
Officials are working with the Red Cross to establish an evacuation site in Kettle Falls.
Those in the area are urged to avoid roads and waterways to allow emergency responders clear access.
Article originally published July 9, 2025 at 4:00 p.m.
