Baird Springs fire in mop up, other fires continue to cause problems in WA
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years, 1 month AGO
The Baird Springs fire near Crescent Bar is mostly out, according to authorities, except for a couple of smoldering spots. The fire threatened homes and agricultural land near Crescent Bar earlier this week.
R. HANS MILLER/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
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 13, 2023 5:16 PM
QUINCY — The Baird Springs fire is nearly out, according to the Washington State Fire Marshal’s Office.
A Thursday morning statement from Southeast Washington Incident Management Team 1, which was coordinating firefighting efforts at the blaze above Crescent Bar, said that the fire had had no growth in 48 hours and only minor smoldering remains in two interior spots. All evacuations have been reduced to Level 1. All crews are demobilizing, it said, except for three engines to finish out the remaining containment and fire suppression repair work. Data indicates an estimated cost to fight the fire of about $1.5 million.
State fire assistance has been mobilized to fight the Wagner Road fire about 17 miles southeast of Sprague, according to a press release from the Washington State Fire Marshal’s office. The blaze, which was discovered Wednesday at about 5:30 pm., has burned 1,200 acres so far. It is burning in grass and brush and is threatening homes, agricultural land, and infrastructure, according to the Fire Marshal’s Office. Level 3 evacuations are in effect at this time.
These wildfires were also burning in Washington as of Thursday afternoon, according to the National Interagency Fire Center:
• Columbia River, about three miles southeast of Omak: 2.8 acres. Fire discovered on July 13. Containment information not available.
• Rainbow, at the north end of Lake Chelan: 2.5 acres. Fire discovered July 12. Containment information not available.
• Tunnel 5, about four miles west of White Salmon: 546 acres. Fire discovered July 2. 100% contained.
• Consalus, about 20 miles north of Newport: 331 acres. Fire discovered June 30. 10% contained.
• McEwan, about three miles northeast of Shelton: 250 acres. Fire discovered July 4. 85% contained.
• OIE Highway, about 10 miles northeast of Prosser: 1,300 acres. Fire discovered July 3. 100% contained.
• Hover Park, three miles southeast of Finley: 528 acres. Fire discovered June 13. 100% contained.
• Ruppert Road, about three miles north of Benton City: 155 acres. Fire discovered June 13. 100% contained.
• Oasis, about seven miles west of Touchet: 4,250 acres. Fire discovered June 19. 100% contained.
• Gold Mountain Ridge, about 12 miles northeast of Keller: 28.8 acres. Fire discovered June 29. 100% contained.
• Anderson Road, about seven miles southeast of Morton: 1 acre. Fire discovered July 10. Containment information not available.
• Farnham, about 13 miles west of Mansfield: 76 acres. Fire discovered July 8. Containment information not available.
• Coyote Creek, about 17 miles northwest of Grand Coulee: 1,555 acres. Prescribed burn.
• Canal Road, about 3 miles north of Naches: 1.5 acres. Fire discovered July 11. Containment information not available.
• Goodwin, between Vancouver and Camas: 14.5 acres. Fire discovered July 11. Containment information not available.
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.