Washington fire update for July 6
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years, 2 months AGO
A home in the Othello area was destroyed early Wednesday morning by a fire resulting from fireworks that had been disposed of improperly, according to Adams county Fire District No. 5.
COURTESY PHOTO/ADAMS OUNTY FIRE DISTRICT NO. 5
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. | July 5, 2023 5:48 PM
OTHELLO — An Othello-area home was completely destroyed by fire in the early hours of Wednesday morning, according to a statement from Adams County Fire District 5. Two vehicles were also destroyed, but all occupants got out of the house safely. The investigation determined that the cause of the fire was fireworks that had been collected and placed in a trash can.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the McEwan Fire currently burning about three miles northeast of Shelton, according to a FEMA statement.
At the time of the state’s request, the wildfire threatened homes in and around the community of Shelton. The fire also threatened highways, local ancillary roads, Mason County PUD infrastructure, Bonneville Power Administration transmission lines, Burlington-Santa Fe rail lines, communications towers, parks and hiking trails, as well as numerous businesses contributing to the manufacturing, mining and agricultural industries, according to the statement. The fire, which was discovered Tuesday, had burned 250 acres as of Wednesday afternoon.
The Roza Creek wildfire, located above the Yakima River Canyon between Yakima and Ellensburg, had burned about 486 acres as of Friday afternoon, according to a statement from the Southeast Washington Interagency Incident Management Team. The fire is currently 70% contained and no structures are threatened.
These wildfires were also burning in Washington as of Wednesday afternoon, according to the National Interagency Fire Center and the NOAA Office of Satellite and Product Operations:
• Oasis, about seven miles west of Touchet: 4,250 acres. Fire discovered June 19. 100% contained.
• Hansen Road, about one mile south of Benton City: 6,289 acres. Fire discovered June 13. 100% contained.
• Methow, south end of Wenatchee: 150 acres. Fire discovered June 27. Containment information not available.
• Charles, about 17 miles northwest of Spokane: 12.3 acres. Fire discovered June 29. Containment information not available.
• Beehive, about 15 miles northeast of Omak: 27 acres. Fire discovered June 28. Containment information not available.
• Gold Mountain Ridge, about 12 miles northeast of Keller: 30 acres. Fire discovered June 29. 60% contained.
• Little River Road, about five miles south of Port Angeles: 1 acre. Fire discovered July 5. Containment information not available.
• Bogachiel, about two miles west of Forks: 5 acres. Fire discovered July 4. Containment information not available.
• Bozy Creek, about seven miles east of Elma: 4 acres. Fire discovered July 5. Containment information not available.
• Ike, just north of Mossyrock: 2 acres. Fire discovered July 2. Containment information not available.
• Tunnel Five, about four miles west of White Salmon: 546 acres. Fire discovered July 2. 5% containment.
• Pine Spring, about 10 miles west of Cheney: 29.5 acres. Fire discovered July 2. Containment information not available.
• Selah Cliffs, about six miles northeast of Selah: 200 acres. Fire discovered July 5. Containment information not available.
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.