Spokane, Okanogan fires continue to threaten homes
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years, 1 month AGO
The West Hallett fire spread to 200 acres Monday afternoon and has prompted evacuation notices around the southwestern corner of Spokane.
COURTESY PHOTO/WA DNR
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | August 2, 2023 1:30 AM
SPOKANE — The West Hallett fire, located along Spokane-Cheney Road just southwest of Spokane, remained at 200 acres Tuesday. The fire, which sprang up suddenly Monday afternoon, was 0% contained and costs were estimated at $150,000 so far, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
The Eagle Bluff fire in Okanogan County at the Canadian border was 10% contained Tuesday, according to the NIFC. The blaze currently stands at 15,349 acres and has cost an estimated $4,900,000, as well as triggering evacuations on both sides of the border.
These wildfires were also burning in Washington on Tuesday, according to the NIFC:
• NS-198, about 56 miles west of Yakima: 2 acres. Fire discovered July 31. Containment and cost information not available.
• Austin Road, 6700 block of North Austin Road, Spokane: 1 acre. Fire discovered July 30. Containment and cost information not available.
• Pine Hollow, about 8 miles west of Yakima: 30 acres. Fire discovered July 31. Containment and cost information not available.
• NS-197, Vancouver: 1.5 acres. Fire discovered July 31. Containment and cost information not available.
• Katie Lane, about 6 miles southeast of Spokane: 12.4 acres. Fire discovered July 30. Containment and cost information not available.
• Bear Creek, about 13 miles southeast of Mount Vernon: 2.5 acres. Fire discovered July 29. Containment and cost information not available.
• NS-193, about 15 miles north of Vancouver: 1.5 acres. Fire discovered July 30. Containment and cost information not available.
• Sourdough, about 60 miles east of Bellingham: 25 acres. Fire discovered July 29. Containment and cost information not available.
• Wawawai, about 5 miles west of Pullman: 526 acres. 99% contained. Fire discovered July 24. Costs estimated at $357,253.
• Newell Road, about 17 miles east of Goldendale: 60,551 acres. Fire discovered July 21. 100% contained. Costs estimated at $9,900,000.
• Consalus, about 20 miles north of Newport: 475 acres. Fire discovered June 30. 70% contained. Costs estimated at $10,000,000.
• Airplane Lake, about 50 miles northwest of Chelan: 25 acres. Fire discovered July 7. 0% contained. Costs estimated at $50,000.
• Badger, about 5 miles northeast of Wenatchee. 473 acres. Fire discovered July 20. 100% contained. Costs estimated at $820,000.
Joel Martin may be reached at [email protected].
ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Quincy National Night Out scales down
QUINCY — Quincy’s National Night Out was more compact this year, which worked out well, said QPD Sgt. Joe Westby, who’s in charge of event planning for the Quincy Police Department. “National Night Out is a big event, and the fact that we’re able to shrink it up is like a breath of fresh air,” Westby said. “If you're always doing the same thing, it's kind of nice to switch things up and see how it works.” National Night Out took place Thursday on the block of C Street next to the police station, a shift from previous years when it was held at Lauzier Park. The smaller space meant fewer emergency vehicles for children to explore, but it also meant less walking for attendees. Grant County Fire District 5 brought a fire truck, and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office had a patrol boat. Renew, the Grant County behavioral health agency, had a booth and so did Quincy Partnership for Youth. Veterans Operation Creation sang the national anthem, and the Quincy Animal Shelter brought kittens that piled over each other making friends with passersby. As before, the QPD served grilled hot dogs.
Quincy Police retirements leave big shoes to fill
QUINCY — There are some big shoes to fill at the Quincy Police Department. “We’re losing 48 years of experience between them,” Quincy Police Chief Ryan Green said at the retirement party for Capt. Jorge Trujillo and Det. Damon Powell Thursday. Trujillo, who grew up in Sunnyside, has been with QPD for 19 years, he said, coming on as a patrol officer fresh out of the military. From there he served as a field training officer, a detective and finally captain. “I consider him my left-hand man,” Green said. “He runs the operations side of the house … He knows the agency very well, and he knows the community.” Trujillo has some projects around the house to tackle now that he’s retired, he said.
Big fun on a small scale
Wheat Land Communities’ Fair opens Thursday
RITZVILLE — The Wheat Land Communities’ Fair isn’t as big or as flashy as some of the county fairs around central Washington, but the folks who keep it going like it just the way it is. “It’s somewhere you can go and get an old-time traditional feeling, and you’re comfortable letting your kids roam the grounds and experience all that it has to offer,” said Board Member Lori Williams. “It’s more of a feeling than (one) specific thing,” The fair starts Thursday in Ritzville and runs through Sunday. Starting Friday, the 56th Ritzville Rodeo will take place alongside the fair at the rodeo grounds. This year the entertainment budget was expanded, Williams said, to be able to offer more fun that’s covered by the cost of admission. For the kids, there’s face painting, balloon art, Lego crafts, races, contests and games. Children can also ride on a little train towed around the fairgrounds behind a tractor.