(STORY IMAGE:KHQ.COM)
HUNTERS, Wash. -Those who live around Hunters can see the difference in the air as firefighters make good progress on the Bissell fire. But, level 2 and 3 evacuation notices are still in place for those who live adjacent to the fire.
Rachel Hiskey got the notice Sunday night when she first heard a helicopter, and then noticed smoke.
“Our peace has gone for a while, yes,” she says.
She immediately started packing and preparing to leave at a moment's notice. And for a moment, Rachel thought the fire could come over the ridge. But, she says, someone was looking out for her.
“Thank heaven the winds shifted,” she says. “It never comes from the north but all night long it came from the north...the smoke blew away and it kept the fire from coming this way.”
Rachel continues to watch the fire from her deck, monitoring it closely. She now just hopes the fire can be contained safely.
"I'm just very grateful for the response from the community," she says.
The American Red Cross has a shelter set up for evacuees at the Columbia Schools in Hunters.