Wildfires merge on the Colville Reservation, still no containment

The Kartar Valley and Omak Lake fires have merged and become one fire on the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation with no containment as of Thursday morning, fire officials said.

Approximately 8,000 acres have burned since Tuesday when the fires started and merged Wednesday afternoon. Bethany Osgood, public information officer for Northeast Washington Interagency Team 3, said they took over management of the fire Thursday morning with an estimated 225 personnel. Level 3 evacuations remain in effect with the cause of fire still under investigation, she said.

"Some structures have been threatened but none lost and no injuries," Osgood said.

She said fire managers expect wind to pick up Friday and are prepping for increased wind gusts of up to 30 mph.

Columbia River and Omak Lake roads are still closed, Osgood said.

"Our activities today will be to build a line around the perimeter of the fire, especially because the winds have picked up today," she said. "The crews will be focusing on direct attack and building that strong fire protection line."

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.