Stevens County Emergency Management

10/09/2026

Did you know Stevens County has a dedicated dive team that responds under Emergency Management in partnership with the Sheriff's office?

These volunteers train year-round to support search and rescue missions, evidence recovery, and community safety. It's a remarkable way to give back and help your neighbors during some of their toughest moments.

If you're interested in volunteering or learning more about local response capabilities visit our Stevens County Emergency Management volunteer page at stevenscountywa.gov

A big thank you to Darby, one of our dedicated volunteers, who made this video 📸

10/08/2026

☀ Enjoy the warm temps today because the Halloween winds are warming up their spooky entrance. NWS Spokane says Friday gusts could kick up to 20–30 mph (and a few dramatic 35–45 mph gusts) as a cold front rolls in.

🍂 Even though today is still fairly calm, it’s a good time to:

👻 Secure lightweight Halloween décor before a plastic skeleton becomes a real flight risk
🎃 Bring in anything that likes to tumble- like lawn furniture
🥶 Prep for a chilly weekend as temps drop across the region (maybe blow out those sprinklers - a light freeze is predicted for Monday)

For the latest, visit the National Weather Service Spokane:
https://www.weather.gov/otx/

10/06/2026

🔥 Update: 10/7/26
A prescribed burn will be starting around 10am today near Ricky Point. An estimated 27 acres will be worked on. It is expected that there will be visible smoke plumes in the area.
_______________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release: October 6, 2026
Contact: [email protected]

COULEE DAM, Wash. — The National Park Service, in cooperation with the Wildland Fire Service, may implement prescribed underburns and pile burns in the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area this fall.

Safe and favorable weather conditions are expected from early October through December. Ignition of each area should be completed in one day, and fire management staff will carefully monitor the project areas until they are fully extinguished. Residual smoke may be visible for up to two weeks after ignition.
Public and firefighter safety remain the highest priority. The planned burns by county include:

🔥 Stevens County
Rickey 3: 20 acres north of Rickey Point Road.
Rickey North: Nine acres south of Rickey Point Road.
Evans: One large pile north of the Evans Boat Launch.
Kettle Falls: One large pile south of the Boise Cascade timber and wood facility on South Boise Road.
Gifford: One large pile east of the Gifford Boat Launch.

🔥 Lincoln County
Fort Spokane: One large pile northeast of Fort Spokane near the intersection of Miles Road and Cougi Lane.
Keller Ferry: One large pile southwest of the Keller Ferry Marina.
Spring Canyon: One large pile off Spring Canyon Campground Road.

These prescribed burns are part of Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area’s ongoing fire management program. They will promote forest health, reduce wildfire fuels near homes and infrastructure, and improve plant diversity. The burns will also return nutrients to the soil and help maintain forests that are more resilient to fire, insects and disease.

Fire managers carefully plan prescribed burns and conduct them under specific weather and fuel conditions. Wildland fire management activities conducted by the National Park Service are guided by agency management policies and federal wildland fire guidelines.

About the National Park Service. Established in 1916, the National Park Service preserves America’s most treasured natural and cultural places for the enjoyment, education and inspiration of current and future generations. Learn more at nps.gov.

09/29/2026

📌REMINDER - MEETINGS TONIGHT AND TOMORROW!

Stevens County is hosting public listening sessions for the County's Comprehensive Plan Periodic update this week. The County’s Comprehensive Plan (Plan) was last updated in 2022. The updated plan will prepare the County for growth through 2047. The plan serves as the centerpiece to local planning efforts. There is a listening session tonight in Colville (Sheriff's Ambulance building at pm) and tomorrow night in Chewelah (Mistequa Casino Hotel Conference Center at 6pm). Topics will include land use, housing, and climate resilience planning. Emergency Management has utilized feedback for our current update to the hazard mitigation plan.

Meeting details:
Colville: 6:00pm Tuesday, September 29th at the Sheriff’s Ambulance Training Center, 425 N Hwy, Colville.
Chewelah: 6:00 pm Wednesday, September 30th at the Mistequa Casino Hotel Conference Center (Ballroom), 2555 Smith Rd, Chewelah.

See https://stevenscounty2027.com for additional details, documents, and interactive commenting tools.

Stevens County is updating its Comprehensive Plan and development regulations, and preparing a new climate resiliency element.

09/28/2026

A huge thank you to our Stevens County Search and Rescue team. Both lost subjects were found today and even though LifeFlight was needed it was a happy outcome for both individuals. The team's long hours of weekend trainings truly paid off today.

09/26/2026

UPDATE: Thank you for all your assistance, he has been found.

We have just issued a Hyper-Reach alert for a missing 13 year old male autistic child last seen wearing navy blue sweatpants and a navy blue Valley school shirt. Potentially has 3 dogs with him, last seen in the 3000 block of Red Marble Road, area northwest of Waitts Lake. If seen please call Dispatch at 509-684-2555. Search and Rescue is currently on standby but has not been requested at this time.

09/26/2026

Campfire season is back! Rule burning(small debris pile) is still not allowed. As always be safe when you burn 🔥 and enjoy those s'mores!

09/26/2026

🚧 ROAD CLOSURE – MANTZ RICKEY ROAD – Tuesday, September 29 🚧
The culvert has failed, and the road has been doing its best to cover both positions. So far, the road is still holding things together, but we really can’t expect it to keep doing the job of two forever.
Public Works will be stepping in to replace the failing culvert before the road decides it has had enough too.
Mantz Rickey Road will be closed Tuesday, September 29, near Highway 395 while crews complete the culvert replacement.
Please utilize alternate routes during the closure. We know closures are inconvenient, and we apologize for the disruption.
We will do our best to get the new culvert in and the road reopened as quickly as possible. And yes, we know “Public Works” and “quickly” aren't always words people expect to see in the same sentence, but we’re going to do our best to surprise you. 😄
Thank you for your patience, your sense of humor, and for giving our crews room to work safely.

08/26/2026

All evacuation levels are lifted for the Hill Loop fire.

08/25/2026