Postal service suspends deliveries in parts of Spokane amid Old Trails wildfire

The U.S. Postal Service suspended operations at multiple Spokane-area post offices this week as the Old Trails wildfire and other nearby fires triggered evacuations and disrupted delivery routes. USPS service alerts updated August 4 said wildfires in Washington and Oregon could delay the processing, transportation and delivery of mail and packages across the Pacific Northwest, and that the agency was closely monitoring conditions in the Spokane area. Separate USPS notices listed temporary closures in Rosewood, Mead and Nine Mile Falls, with mail redirected to alternate post offices for customer pickup. ### Which Spokane-area post offices were closed, and when? On August 4, USPS said the Rosewood Post Office at 6325 N. Monroe St. in Spokane was temporarily closed because of a wildfire evacuation. During the closure, customers’ mail and retail services were moved to the Northpointe Post Office at 9857 N. Nevada St. in Spokane, according to the agency’s Washington residential service-disruptions page. On August 3, USPS said the Mead Post Office at 11616 N. (about.usps.com) Market St. closed because of wildfire evacuation orders. The agency directed Mead customers to the Colbert Post Office at 19823 N. Yale Rd. for mail pickup and retail transactions. Also on August 3, USPS said the Nine Mile Falls Post Office at 12522 N. Nine Mile Rd. was temporarily closed due to wildfire evacuation. Customers were told to use the Liberty Park Post Office at 1602 E. (about.usps.com) Sprague Ave. in Spokane. ### Where are customers supposed to get their mail now? USPS told customers affected by the Mead and Nine Mile Falls closures to bring proper photo identification when picking up mail and packages at alternate locations. (about.usps.com) The Washington service-disruptions page listed retail window hours for each substitute site, including weekday and Saturday schedules. KREM reported on August 5 that USPS had said employee safety remained its top priority while the agency worked “around the clock” to restore service where conditions allowed. (about.usps.com) The station also reported that Inchelium, which had previously suspended operations because of wildfire conditions, had resumed service after evacuations were lifted there. ### How broad is the delivery disruption beyond those counters? USPS said in a national service alert updated August 4 that wildfires in the Pacific Northwest “may delay the processing, transportation, and delivery of mail and packages.” The agency did not limit that warning to a single neighborhood, saying it was monitoring the Spokane area while broader regional fire conditions affected operations in Washington and Oregon. The USPS service-alert page said residential customers and small businesses should use the mail service disruptions website to check whether mail is being delivered in their neighborhood or whether their local post office is open. (krem.com) The same page directed customers to 1-800-ASK-USPS for additional help. ### What is happening with the Old Trails fire itself? FEMA said on August 1 that it authorized federal funds through a Fire Management Assistance Grant to help Washington fight the Old Trails Fire in Spokane County. (about.usps.com) FEMA said the fire threatened homes in and around Spokane, along with utilities, parks, schools, a railroad bridge, a hospital and a Veterans Affairs center. Spokane County’s incident update posted August 3 said the Spokane Area Fires — including Old Trails, Fairview and Autumn Lane — had burned 8,026 acres with 0% containment at that time. (about.usps.com) The county said numerous structures had been affected and listed an evacuation shelter for Old Trails fire evacuees at the Spokane Convention Center. ### What should Spokane residents watch next? USPS said its service alerts are updated as conditions change, and the Washington residential disruptions page is the agency’s running list of closures, alternate pickup sites and retail hours. (fema.gov) Spokane County said current evacuation levels should be checked through its emergency mapping resources as fire conditions evolve. August 6 conditions remained fluid across the Spokane fire zone, and USPS had not announced a timetable for full restoration of normal delivery in the affected areas. (spokanecounty.gov) Customers in Rosewood, Mead and Nine Mile Falls were still being directed to Northpointe, Colbert and Liberty Park, respectively, for service listed on the agency’s alerts page. (about.usps.com)