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Cowlitz County sees four fires on Easter Sunday

By The Daily News
Published: April 13, 2020, 10:24am

LONGVIEW — Cowlitz County firefighters responded to four fires Sunday, with the blazes sending columns of smoke up into a pure blue Easter sky.

In at least two of the cases, stiff winds and record low humidity helped spread the flames, officials said.

As night fell, Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue crews and other fire agencies continued fighting a brush fire in the Astro Drive area of Ostrander and a logging equipment fire near the Cowlitz-Wahkiakum County Line, according to Cowlitz 2 Battalion Chief Joe Tone.

Earlier in the day, Cowlitz 2 crews also fought a structure fire in the Ragland Road area of Coal Creek area. The fire destroyed the dwelling and left a grandmother and three grandchildren homeless, Tone said

Cowlitz 2 crews on Sunday night also were working with Longview firefighters to combat a large fire at Swanson Bark and Wood Products that sent a large plume of smoke towering into the sky above Tennant Way.

The Ostrander area fire started as a debris burn that was quickly spread by wind and humidity levels that were at an April record 17%, Tone said.

The fire, burning on a steep slope off the 200 block of Astro Drive, had scorched an estimated two acres and had burned right up to some structures, where firefighters stopped it, Tone said.

Twenty-four firefighters from Cowlitz 2, Cowlitz fire districts 6 and 3 and the state Department of Natural Resources responded to the fire, which was reported at 2:41 p.m.

A DNR helicopter dropped water on the fire from the Cowlitz River, but crews must remain on the fire overnight and through Monday, Tone said.

The Astro Drive fire climbed up conifers and burned 60 to 70 feet high, fueled by the wind, Tone said. Dried blackberry canes also helped spread the fire, he said.

A fire incident commander was injured when a vehicle ran over his foot, but he continued to work on the fire into Sunday night, Tone said. The brush fire started while Cowlitz 2 already was fighting the structure fire reported at 1:18 p.m. at 118 Ragland Road in the Coal Creek area.

A grandmother and her three grandchildren escaped, but the home was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived and is a total loss, Tone said. The cause is believed to be a candle, he said.

The Red Cross has been contacted to assist the family, he said.

Longview fire crews also responded to the Ragland Road fire.

Further information about the County Line logging equipment fire, reported at 7:10 p.m., was unavailable. Tone said crews were en route to the location.

The fire at Swanson Bark, located along Tennant Way in Longview, sent a tall column of smoke above the southern ends of Longview and Kelso. Firefighters still were on scene Sunday night but further information was not immediately available.

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