Modrite Fire Recovery: Clearing Your Land and Finding Help
If the Modrite Fire burned your home, timber or land around Inchelium, Twin Lakes or Kewa, this guide is for you. It covers hazard trees, debris, erosion and replanting, the rules for trust and fee land, who can help pay for it, and where things stand today. It’s written by a wildland fire crew that worked this fire.
Every Modrite Fire Resource in One Place
Recovery after Modrite is harder to piece together than after most fires. The burn crosses tribal trust land, allotments, deeded land inside the reservation and private land in Ferry County, and each one has its own programs, rules and phone numbers. Federal help for households hasn’t opened here, so tribal, state and local programs carry most of the load.
We pulled together every program, agency and contact we could find: Colville Tribes services, county and state help, federal programs and nonprofits. The focus is the land around your home: hazard trees, burned timber, debris, slopes, replanting and protecting what you rebuild.
Your land burned in the Spokane-area fires instead? See our Spokane Complex Fire recovery guide.
Where Things Stand Today
Federal Disaster Declaration
The state asked FEMA on Sept. 28. Ferry County and the Colville Reservation were not included in the request for household aid, only for government costs. As requested, FEMA household grants would not open here.
Public Cleanup of Private Land
No program is removing hazard trees or debris from private lots or allotments. The Tribes, EPA and Ecology have been checking burned homesites for hazardous materials before rebuilding. Keep receipts for cleanup you pay for.
Red Cross Home Loss Help for Tribal Families
The Red Cross liaison listed on the Colville Tribes’ fire page helps families who lost a home get relief items and temporary shelter and start an assistance application. Call (509) 634-0944.
State Household Grant
$750 to $2,250 for households whose primary home was destroyed or badly damaged, including in Ferry County and on Colville lands. The posted deadline was Oct. 30 to 31, 2026. Call 211 to ask about late applications.
SBA Disaster Loans
Open to the Gifford and Hunters side in Stevens County until Dec. 21, 2026. Ferry County and the reservation are not in the SBA declaration.
Tax Deadlines Moved
The IRS moved filing and payment deadlines to Feb. 1, 2027 for Ferry County, Stevens County and the Colville Reservation. It happens automatically.
The Modrite Fire
Lightning started the fire on July 17, 2026, about 17 miles southwest of Inchelium on the Colville Reservation. It sat near 9,000 acres for two weeks. Then on July 30 it ran north along Lake Roosevelt, put all of Inchelium under “Go Now” orders and became the highest-priority wildfire in the country.
How It Unfolded
Lightning starts the fire southwest of Inchelium. Level 3 orders along Wilmont Creek and Silver Creek roads. Red Cross opens a shelter in Kettle Falls.
The fire grows from about 11,000 to 19,500 acres in a day. FEMA approves a fire management grant. Inchelium goes to Level 3 “Go Now.”
The nation’s top-priority fire. Inchelium loses power and water. The fire passes 40,000 acres and comes within about a mile of town.
Crews hold the line and mop up. Most evacuation orders are lifted by Aug. 25. Smoke damage pushes the Inchelium school start to Sept. 15.
Burning at the Same Time
Acreage and the 13 primary homes are from Washington Emergency Management’s Aug. 20, 2026 situation report. The 43 homes count is from Colville Tribes leadership and covers Modrite and Kaiser Canyon together. Final counts for each fire hadn’t been published when we checked. The fire was 98% contained as of the last official update on Aug. 20.
Our Crews Worked the Modrite Fire
B&B firefighters and engines were on the Modrite Fire, working alongside tribal, state and federal crews. We’ve seen how this fire moved through the timber and grass along Lake Roosevelt, and we know the roads, the slopes and the kind of ground it left behind.
That’s the same crew that now does cleanup and mitigation. The firefighters who were on the line this summer are the people who fell your hazard trees, clear your slash and set up defensible space for the next fire.
Photos from B&B crews on 2026 fire assignments in Eastern Washington.
Whose Land Is It? The Rules Change at the Property Line
Before anyone cuts a burned tree, know what kind of land it’s standing on. Trust land, deeded land inside the reservation and land outside it each have different rules, permits and programs.
Held in Trust on the Reservation
Land the federal government holds in trust for the Tribes or for individual allottees.
- Cutting or removing trees needs BIA and owner approval first
- Colville Tribes Forestry and the BIA Colville Agency are your first calls
- BIA post-fire programs can fund stabilization and replanting on trust land
Fee Land Inside the Boundary
Privately owned land within the reservation. Rules can come from the Tribes, the county and the state.
- Confirm burning and timber rules with the Tribes and DNR
- Ferry County handles property taxes and building permits
- State, county and nonprofit programs usually apply
Ferry and Stevens County Land
Private land outside the reservation, including the Gifford and Hunters side of the lake.
- Selling burned timber needs a DNR Forest Practices Application
- Conservation district and DNR cost share can help pay
- Stevens County land is eligible for SBA loans
Don’t Let Anyone Cut Before the Paperwork Is Done
Federal rules for Indian forest land (25 CFR Part 163) say timber can only be cut or removed under a contract or permit approved by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, with the consent of the landowners. Cutting without it counts as trespass, and the penalty is triple the value of the timber plus cleanup costs, whether or not anyone meant to break the rule.
We found no published exception for hazard trees around a homesite, so call Colville Tribes Forestry at (509) 634-2333 or the Inchelium district forestry office at 509-722-7093 before cutting. When we work on trust land, we line up the approvals with you first and don’t start until they’re in place.
Not sure what your land is? The Tribes’ realty office or the BIA Colville Agency at (509) 634-2316 can tell you.
Your Land Over the Next Six Months
The fire is out, but the land work runs on the seasons. Here’s what matters before winter, over the winter and next spring.
Make It Safe and Get in Line
- Find out whether your land is trust, fee or off-reservation
- Fell trees that could hit your home, driveway, road or a place people use, with approvals first on trust land
- Photograph every burned tree and the damage before anything is cut
- Call Tribal Forestry, DNR or your conservation district for a look at your land
- Cover bare slopes and keep culverts and ditches clear
- File a destroyed property claim with the Ferry County Assessor
Plan the Cleanup
- Decide on salvage before pine stains and loses value
- Start the timber paperwork: BIA and Tribes on trust land, a DNR application elsewhere
- Get a written scope and quote for trees, debris and slash
- Chip, haul or burn slash piles within the rules
- File federal taxes by Feb. 1, 2027 and report livestock losses to FSA by Mar. 1
Recheck and Replant
- Look for new green growth on trees you kept
- Watch for beetle boring dust on stressed trees
- Plant seedlings and reseed bare ground
- Clear and thin around the building site before you rebuild
- Set up defensible space for the new home
The House Site and the Land Are Separate Work
Burned structures follow strict hazardous material and disposal rules and go to specialized contractors. The trees, brush and ground around them are a different job with different crews, rules and funding.
- Burned houses, garages and outbuildings
- Ash, foundations and contaminated soil
- Hazardous materials checks before rebuilding (the Tribes, EPA and Ecology have been assessing burned homesites)
- An asbestos survey before burned structures are disturbed
- Hauling and disposal of structure debris
Who does it: licensed demolition and abatement contractors.
- Hazard tree felling and removal
- Downed timber, burned brush and woody debris
- Slash piles: burn, chip or haul
- Erosion control on burned slopes
- Replanting and reseeding
- Clearing for the rebuild and defensible space
Who does it: B&B Wildland Fire, on trust, fee and private land, scheduled around the crews working on your home site.
Will the Government Clean Up My Land?
Probably not for trees. FEMA’s grant for the Modrite Fire paid for firefighting, not for families. The federal emergency declaration covers government costs like evacuation and shelters, and it specifically left out debris removal. The state’s request for a major disaster declaration didn’t ask for household aid in Ferry County or on the Colville Reservation.
On trust land, BIA post-fire programs can pay for stabilization and replanting, but they’re planned by the Tribes and the BIA, not requested by individual owners. We found no published post-fire treatment plan for Modrite yet, so ask Colville Tribes Forestry what’s planned for your allotment.
Our advice: handle urgent hazards now (with approvals on trust land), keep every receipt and photo, and tell your insurer and the Tribes’ Emergency Operations Center what you’ve done.
Every Resource for Modrite Fire Survivors and Landowners
Tribal, county, state, federal and nonprofit programs that can help with cleanup, hazard trees, money, housing, insurance, rules and support. Filter by what you need. Status is as of Oct. 30, 2026, so call before you count on anything.
Know of a program we missed, or see something out of date? Call us at (509) 215-1875 and we’ll add it.
What to Cut Now and What Can Wait
Burned trees fail without warning, especially in wind, snow and wet soil. But much of the ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir and larch around Inchelium has thick bark and may live. Cutting everything at once costs more than it needs to, and on trust land it needs approval first.
Anything That Can Hit Something
Dead or badly burned trees that could fall on your home site, driveway, road, fence, well or a place people work. These come first, before winter wind and snow load.
Trees That Might Make It
Ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir and larch with green needles left and only light char can survive. Look for new growth next spring before you decide. Some will still die in two or three years, so plan a recheck.
Dead Timber Worth Selling
Burned pine can stain within the first year, and most salvage value is gone by year three. On trust land, sales go through the Tribes and the BIA. Elsewhere, selling logs needs a DNR Forest Practices Application. Start early.
Not sure about a tree? Check it with our free tree survival checker, based on Oregon State University’s post-fire guide, or have our crew walk your land.
Chip It, Haul It, Burn It or Sell It
We found no free disposal days or fee waivers for Modrite debris, and the county transfer station is in Republic. Where the wood goes makes a real difference in cost.
Chip It on Site
Usually the simplest option this far from a transfer station. No hauling and no tipping fees, and the chips help cover bare soil.
Haul It
Torboy Transfer Station near Republic charges by the ton, takes cash or check and is open Thursday to Saturday. Call first to confirm what it takes.
Burn It
Often the practical choice in the backcountry, once burning is open. Who issues the permit depends on whether you’re on the reservation.
Sell It
Larger stands of dead pine and fir may be worth salvage logging if you move quickly. A forester can tell you if the volume is there.
Burning Rules Depend on Where You Are
On the reservation, check with the Colville Tribes’ Mt. Tolman Fire Center at (509) 634-3100 before you light anything. Off the reservation, check DNR’s burn restrictions or call the DNR Northeast Region at (509) 684-7474.
- Ask before you burn: the Tribes on the reservation, DNR off it
- Burn only natural vegetation, never burned building debris
- Keep piles small unless you have a permit for larger ones
- Build piles away from standing trees, slopes and power lines
- Have water and tools on hand and stay until it’s out
Protect the Ground Before Winter Rains
Much of the Modrite burn sits on steep ground and draws above Lake Roosevelt. Bare, burned slopes shed water and soil until plants come back, and culverts and ditches below them can plug with ash and debris in the first heavy rain or snowmelt.
We found no published post-fire flood or debris-flow assessment for Modrite. On trust land, ask Colville Tribes Forestry or the BIA Colville Agency what stabilization work is planned. Everywhere else, the steps below are what you can do yourself.
- Spread weed-free straw on bare slopes above your home, well or driveway
- Lay wattles or downed logs across the slope to catch soil
- Keep culverts, ditches and road drains clear of ash and debris
- Reseed with native grasses in fall or early spring
On a Well? Check It and Test It
The state Department of Health says to inspect the wiring, lines, pressure tank and well house, use a licensed contractor for repairs, and test the water for coliform bacteria at an accredited lab before drinking it. Boil water until it tests clean. In Ferry County, the Northeast Tri County Health District can help: 509-775-3111.
Six Ways to Pay for Land Cleanup After Modrite
With no federal household aid in Ferry County, most families will combine several smaller sources. Tribal leaders say about half the homes lost on the reservation were uninsured, so start with what you qualify for and keep the paperwork tight.
Homeowners Insurance
Tree and landscaping coverage is often about 5% of the dwelling limit, with a per-tree cap. Debris removal coverage usually adds up to 5% more, but only after the dwelling limit is used up.
Good for: hazard trees near the home, debris
Tribal Programs
The Tribes’ Emergency Operations Center, the Red Cross, the Cedar Fund and the Housing Authority help tribal households. On trust land, BIA post-fire programs can fund stabilization and replanting planned with the Tribes.
Good for: tribal households, trust land
Conservation District and DNR
The Ferry Conservation District can pay up to 75% of approved practices, and DNR has forest health cost share. Get approval before work starts.
Good for: seeding, fencing, thinning, fuels
USDA Programs
NRCS EQIP can pay for erosion control, planting and fuels work. FSA covers livestock and grazing losses until Mar. 1, 2027, and may open forest restoration sign-ups.
Good for: ranches, larger acreage, forest land
Selling Burned Timber
On larger stands, salvage logs can pay for part of the cleanup if they’re sold before the wood stains. It needs the right permits for your land type.
Good for: stands with merchantable timber
Taxes
A destroyed property claim can lower property taxes. Removing destroyed trees and replanting can count toward a federal casualty loss, and forest owners can ask about a damaged timber credit.
Good for: everyone, with a tax professional
Paperwork That Keeps Your Options Open
- Confirm your land status and any approvals before anything is cut
- Dated photos of every burned tree, wide and close, before work starts
- Written scope and quote before work starts
- Approval from any cost-share program before work begins
- Itemized invoices that separate trees, debris, erosion and replanting
- Proof of payment and after photos from the same spots
Clear It Once, and Clear It for the Next Fire
The cleanup is the cheapest moment to set up defensible space. The equipment is already on site, the building pad is open, and nothing new has been planted against the house yet. A little planning now means the new home starts out protected instead of needing a second project later.
Modrite showed how fast fire can move along the timbered slopes above Lake Roosevelt, and it won’t be the last fire here. The unburned timber around many homes in Inchelium, Twin Lakes and Kewa still needs thinning too.
Forest Health Cost Share
Help paying for thinning and fuels reduction on forest land under 5,000 acres, after a free visit from a service forester.
Home Fire Assessment
A free assessment of the area around your home, when the district has funding. Ask when you call about cost share.
Wildfire Mitigation Blueprint
A wildland firefighter walks your property, shows you how fire would reach your home and gives you a plan you can act on.
B&B Is Here to Help You Clean Up
We’re wildland firefighters based in Eastern Washington, and we work on trust land, deeded land and private land around Inchelium and across Ferry and Stevens counties. We clear what the fire left, protect the ground and set your property up for the next fire season. We bring all the equipment.
Hazard Tree Removal
Dead and fire-weakened trees felled by sawyers who cut burned timber on fire lines, plus help deciding which trees to keep.
Debris and Downed Timber Cleanup
Fallen trees, burned limbs, dead brush and charred woody debris cut up and cleared so the land is safe to work.
Slash Piles: Burn, Chip or Haul
Piles burned under the rules in the right season with our own engines on site, chipped in place or hauled away.
Land Clearing for the Rebuild
Building site, driveway and fence lines cleared, usable logs decked, and the site cleaned up after equipment.
Erosion Control and Replanting
Straw, wattles and seeding on burned slopes, then seedlings suited to your site in the right season.
Defensible Space and Mitigation
Zones around the new home, thinned regrowth and fuels reduction so the next fire finds less to burn.
- Crews and engines on the 2026 Modrite Fire
- Wildland firefighters, 10+ years on the line
- Washington DNR-approved contractor
- Active federal VIPR contract
- Licensed and insured in Washington
How It Works
Call or Send Photos
Use the form below or call (509) 215-1875. Tell us the kind of land if you know it. Photos help us plan the visit.
Free Site Visit
We walk the land with you, mark hazard trees, check slopes and drainage, and photograph everything.
Approvals and Paperwork
On trust land, we line up BIA and tribal approvals with you. Elsewhere, we check whether a DNR application or cost-share approval is needed first.
Written Plan and Quote
Itemized so your insurer, the Tribes, a cost-share program or a case manager can follow it.
The Work and Follow-Up
Our crew fells, clears, chips and protects the ground, with before and after photos. Follow-up visits are available to recheck trees you kept.
Watch Out for Storm Chasers
After a big fire, out-of-town crews show up with quick quotes and big deposits. On trust land there’s an extra risk: a crew that cuts or hauls timber without BIA approval can leave the landowner facing trespass penalties. Tree work is dangerous and expensive to get wrong, so take a minute to check who you hire, including us.
Check Us Out
B&B Wildland Fire is registered with Washington L&I under contractor license BBWILWF743C3. Click the number to see our record on L&I’s Verify a Contractor site.
Before You Hire Anyone
- Get multiple written bids
- Verify the contractor is registered with L&I
- On trust land, make sure BIA and tribal approvals are in place before any cutting
- Get the scope, price and timeline in writing
- Don’t pay in full before the work is done
- Be wary of door-to-door crews and cash-only deals
Report contractor fraud to L&I at 1-888-811-5974.
Take Care of Yourself, Too
Losing a home, timber, cultural places or land your family has known for generations is a real loss. Months later, stress, poor sleep and grief are normal, especially as the paperwork drags on. Free, confidential help is a call or text away.
Modrite Fire Recovery FAQs
My land is trust or allotted land. Can I just hire someone to cut the burned trees?
Not without approval. Federal rules for Indian forest land require a BIA-approved permit or contract, with the owners’ consent, before timber is cut or removed. Cutting without one is treated as trespass, with penalties of triple the timber’s value. Call Colville Tribes Forestry at (509) 634-2333 or the Inchelium district forestry office at 509-722-7093 first. We work with you to get approvals in place before we start.
Will FEMA pay to clean up my land or rebuild my home?
Not as things stand. FEMA’s grant for Modrite paid for firefighting, and the federal emergency declaration covers government costs only, with debris removal left out. The state’s request for a major disaster declaration did not ask for household aid in Ferry County or on the Colville Reservation. Tribal, state and local programs are the main sources of help here.
Can I get an SBA disaster loan?
Only if your property is in Stevens County, like the Gifford and Hunters side of the lake. SBA’s declaration covers Stevens County but not Ferry County or the reservation. The deadline for home and property loans is Dec. 21, 2026.
Where do tribal members go for help after losing a home?
Start with the Tribes’ Emergency Operations Center at 509-634-2043 and the Red Cross liaison listed on the Tribes’ fire page at (509) 634-0944. The Colville Indian Housing Authority has an emergency housing application, with an Inchelium office at (509) 722-7062. The River Warrior Society has also helped Inchelium-area families directly.
Did B&B work on the Modrite Fire?
Yes. Our firefighters and engines worked the Modrite Fire alongside tribal, state and federal crews. Today the same people do our cleanup and mitigation work.
Should I wait for a program before cleaning up?
Not for trees that could fall on your home, driveway, road or a place people use, though on trust land you still need approval first. For everything else, document it, ask Tribal Forestry, DNR or your conservation district what they recommend, and keep receipts. Some cost-share programs only pay for work they approve before it starts.
Which of my trees will survive?
Thick-barked ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir and larch often survive if a good share of the crown is still green and the base isn’t deeply charred. Thin-barked trees die from much less. Try our tree survival checker, look for new growth in spring, or have a forester or our crew take a look.
Can I sell my burned timber?
Possibly, if there’s enough volume and you move quickly, because burned pine loses value as it stains. On trust land, sales go through the Tribes and the BIA. On other land, you’ll need a Forest Practices Application from DNR’s Northeast Region at (509) 684-7474.
Where can I take burned branches and logs?
Ferry County’s Torboy Transfer Station near Republic charges by the ton and is open Thursday to Saturday. Call (509) 775-8019 to confirm what it takes. For most rural properties, chipping on site or pile burning is cheaper than hauling.
Can I burn the slash piles?
Usually, once burning is open, but who issues the permit depends on where you are. On the reservation, check with the Tribes’ Mt. Tolman Fire Center at (509) 634-3100. Off the reservation, check with DNR. Never burn debris from burned buildings.
Can I lower my property taxes?
Yes, if the fire cut your property’s value by more than 20%. File a destroyed property claim with the Ferry County Assessor at (509) 775-5225 ext. 2502. Forest owners can also ask the Department of Revenue about a tax credit for damaged timber.
Is my well water safe?
Inspect the wiring, lines and pressure tank, and test for coliform bacteria at an accredited lab before drinking. Boil water until it tests clean. The Northeast Tri County Health District can help at 509-775-3111.
What does fire cleanup cost?
Our typical prices are $300 to $500 to fell a tree and leave it, $800 to $1,200 to fell and remove a hazard tree, and $1,200 to $3,000 an acre for general cleanup, depending on terrain, access and how much is down. Every job gets a written quote after a free visit.
Do you clean up burned houses or ash?
No. Burned structures need hazardous materials checks, an asbestos survey and a licensed demolition or abatement contractor. We handle the land: hazard trees, downed timber, brush, slash, erosion, replanting and defensible space, and we schedule around the crew on your house.
Is the site visit really free?
Yes. We call back within one business day, walk the land with you and give you a written plan and quote. There’s no obligation.
Let’s Look at Your Land Together
Tell us where your property is and send a few photos if you can. We’ll call you back within one business day and set up a free site visit. You’ll get a written plan and quote you can share with your insurer, the Tribes, a cost-share program or a case manager. No pressure and no obligation.
- Call back within one business day
- Free first site visit
- Approvals lined up before work on trust land
- Written, itemized plan and quote
Rather talk now? (509) 215-1875