COULEE CITY — A wildfire near Coulee City has grown significantly and is now threatening structures and critical infrastructure, prompting state officials to mobilize additional firefighting resources.

The Garred Road Fire, which started Sunday at about 4:01 p.m., has expanded to an estimated 3,500 acres and continues to grow, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

Earlier Monday, Coulee City Fire Chief Jesse Bolyard said the fire had rekindled after initially burning nearly 500 acres Sunday. 

Level 3 (Leave Now) evacuations remain in place for the Sun Lakes area, and both State Route 17 and U.S. Highway 2 are closed near the fire, according to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.

State Fire Marshal officials said the fire is burning in sagebrush and dry grass, and is threatening primary and secondary homes, wheat fields, infrastructure and the Sun Lakes State Park campground. The fire was human-caused, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

The growing severity of the fire prompted state mobilization efforts Monday afternoon.

Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste authorized the use of statewide firefighting resources at 12:45 p.m. at the request of Bolyard.

Under the Washington State Fire Services Resource Mobilization Plan, additional crews and equipment from across the state can be deployed when local resources are overwhelmed.

Mobilization specialists have ordered multiple resources to the scene, including four wildland strike teams, an incident management team and aerial firefighting support, according to the Fire Marshal’s Office.

The State Emergency Operations Center at Camp Murray has been activated at Level 2 (Get Ready), a partial activation, to help coordinate response efforts.

State officials said personnel from the Fire Protection Bureau are both en route to Grant County as of 3 p.m. Monday and working remotely to manage resource deployment and logistics.

The mobilization plan is designed to quickly assemble and dispatch firefighters, equipment and support when wildfires or other disasters exceed the capabilities of local agencies.

“Please avoid the area and find alternative routes,” the sheriff’s office said in an earlier notice.

Firefighters continue to work to contain the blaze as conditions remain dynamic, and fire growth ongoing, according to the Fire Marshal’s Office. 

Grant County Sheriff’s Office released a statement at 3:30 p.m. stating an evacuation area has been established at Soap Lake High School for RVs and campers. 

This story was last updated at 4:30 p.m. Monday and will be updated further as more information becomes available.  

    A helicopter buzzes low over Banks Lake for more water to combat the Garred Road Fire. The blaze tripled in size Monday.