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Tuesday, March 19, 2024
March 19, 2024

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Northwest fires putting firefighters to test

As crews leave fire 9 miles east of Walla Walla, others try to contain rapidly spreading blazes

The Columbian
Published:

Walla Walla

Leaving Blue Creek Fire

Many of the hundreds of men and women who had been battling the Blue Creek Fire packed their bags Friday morning.

“There’s a ton of people going home today, we’re at a significant turning point” said spokesman Nick Mickel, with the fire 95 percent contained.

At its peak, more than 1,000 firefighters and other personnel were deployed to fight the fire, which started the early afternoon of July 20 on private land. Saturday morning, there were roughly 200 firefighters camped at the Incident Command Post in and around the Walla Walla Community College’s Dietrich Activity Center dome.

“You did an outstanding job. … You did it safely, and the community thanks you,” Mike Ciraulo, Type 2 Incident Management Team commander, told firefighters this morning as they gathered for their daily briefing.

Although the 6,004-acre fire, about 9 miles east of Walla Walla, was close to being completely encircled, Mickel said the firefighters’ work is far from done. The focus will now shift to mopping up hot spots to prevent fires from restarting and threatening containment lines, repairing any damage caused by firefighting activities, and patrolling.

Spokane County

Reaching Long Lake Fire

Firefighters swarmed into northwestern Spokane County on Friday evening to fight a blaze that grew quickly, sent a large plume of smoke into the air and sent embers into yards across Long Lake.

Triple-digit temperatures and low humidity helped the fire, which started around 5 p.m. Friday, grow to 400 acres by 8:30 p.m.

Early estimates that the fire, just south of Long Lake, reached 600-700 acres may have been skewed by the heavy smoke, Department of Natural Resources spokesman Guy Gifford said.

The flames stopped at Long Lake — the Spokane River — on the north side, Gifford said. The fire was approaching irrigated fields to the east. “We’re looking to stop it at the fields,” he said.

Gifford said people reported falling embers that created spot fires. There was an unstable air system in place that allowed the smoke column to go high in the air and create a chimney effect, Gifford said, which sucks embers from the fire that can drop more than a mile away.

Therese Lally lives in Nine Mile Falls, across the Spokane River from the fire. As she sat on her deck Friday evening, she noticed embers falling in her yard. “There was one that was the size of a quarter,” she said.

Lally and her husband put their sprinkler on the yard, and discussed watering down their roof.

Lucerne

Fire near Lake Chelan, Pacific Coast Trail

Several hundred people were evacuated near Lake Chelan in North Central Washington as a wildfire more than doubled in size to more than 6 square miles overnight.

Fire officials said more than 350 staff and residents at the Lutheran retreat center Holden Village and workers at Holden Mine Remediation were evacuated as of Saturday. Officials said Holden Village is not threatened, but its only evacuation route was in danger.

The Wolverine Fire started Wednesday from a lightning strike. It became extremely active late Friday, and embers ignited two spot fires, the first a half-mile south of Lightning Creek, which made significant runs up the creek and is now established on Lightning Ridge.

At about 8 p.m., embers jumped across Railroad Creek, igniting another fire, which made a run uphill toward Domke Lake.

Guests at Domke Lake Resort had already evacuated, and the owner of the resort is safe, according to a news release from the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, but several structures burned at the lake.

Entiat Hotshots performed burn-out operations above Lucerne.

Forest Service officials are also working to warn hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail that a detour through the area is now closed, and several campgrounds are closed until further notice.

Reed said northbound hikers will be rerouted along the Suiattle River Trail, and then along the Suiattle River Road to Marblemount, where they will be shuttled on Highway 20 back to the Pacific Crest Trail. Southbound hikers will be stopped at Stehekin and either turned around or sent out by a Lady of the Lake ferry.

There is also a temporary flight restriction in place, and pilots are asked to avoid the area. Helicopters are working from Refrigerator Harbor campground to Stehekin Landing. Boaters are also asked to stay away.

CANYONVILLE, Ore.

SW Oregon wildfire continues rapid spread

Firefighters in southwest Oregon continue to fight a quickly spreading wildfire that’s spread to more than 13 square miles overnight.

Officials on Saturday said high temperatures and low humidity, a challenging terrain and abundant, dry fuel are contributing to the spread of the blaze.

The Stouts Creek Fire started Thursday in the unincorporated community of Milo. Its cause is under investigation.

Over 800 firefighters are now battling the fire. At least three-dozen homeowners were told to evacuate Friday and others are to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice.

Mason County

Blaze destroys 8 homes

A large wildfire in rural Mason County destroyed at least eight homes, emergency officials said.

Residents and livestock were evacuated from the area of the fire, which grew to about 150 acres west of Matlock, according to Mason County Emergency Communications. About 80 customers were affected by an emergency power outage so crews could respond to the fire, according to the Mason County Public Utility District.

— From wire services

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