Othello fire deemed arson, other fires continue statewide
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 6 months AGO
Nobody was hurt in an arson-caused fire in Othello, according to the Adams County Sheriff’s Office.
COURTESY PHOTO/ACSO
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 20, 2023 1:30 AM
OTHELLO — A fire in Othello was deliberately set Tuesday, according to a statement from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office.
At a little after 3:30 p.m., the ACSO received a report of a structure fire caused by arson in the 2100 block of West Moon Road in Othello, the statement said. The suspect, later identified as 28-year-old Víctor Jesús Pérez-Villela, fled on foot but was located and apprehended by Othello Police and ACSO deputies. He was taken into custody and booked into jail on charges of second-degree arson.
These wildfires were also burning in Washington as of Wednesday afternoon, according to the National Interagency Fire Center:
• Mosquito Lake, about 16 miles northeast of Bellingham, 1.1 acres. Fire discovered July 18. Containment and cost information not available.
• Consalus, about 20 miles north of Newport: 444 acres. Fire discovered June 30. 10% contained. Costs estimated at $10,000,000.
Snider Road, at I-90 near Fishtrap: 520 acres. 45% contained. Cost estimate not available.
• Mountain Loop, about 14 miles northeast of Marysville: 14 acres. Fire discovered July 16. Containment and cost information not available.
• Goodwin, between Vancouver and Camas: 14.5 acres. Fire discovered July 11. Containment and cost information not available.
• McEwan, about three miles northeast of Shelton: 250 acres. Fire discovered July 4. 85% contained. Costs estimated at $1,850,000.
• OIE Highway, about 10 miles northeast of Prosser: 1,300 acres. Fire discovered July 3. 100% contained. Costs estimated at $75,000.
• Tunnel 5, about four miles west of White Salmon: 546 acres. Fire discovered July 2. 100% contained. Costs estimated at $7,000,000.
• Gold Mountain Ridge, about 12 miles northeast of Keller: 28.8 acres. Fire discovered June 29. 100% contained. Costs estimated at $3,000,000.
• Oasis, about seven miles west of Touchet: 4,250 acres. Fire discovered June 19. 100% contained. Costs estimated at $500,000.
• Hover Park, three miles southeast of Finley: 528 acres. Fire discovered June 13. 100% contained. Costs estimated at $175,000.
• Ruppert Road, about three miles north of Benton City: 155 acres. Fire discovered June 13. 100% contained. Cost estimated at $100,000.
• Coyote Creek, about 17 miles northwest of Grand Coulee: 1,555 acres. Prescribed burn.
ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Chess tournament sharpens wits in Ephrata
Annual strategic competition set for February 1
EPHRATA — A hundred young players will go head-to-head – and brain-to-brain – at the Waypoint Foundation Scholastic Chess Tournament in Ephrata Feb. 1. This is the 18th year the tournament has been held at Parkway Elementary School. said Troy Pugh, who created and manages the tournament with his brother Roger Pugh. This year, Pugh said, the foundation has added online registration for the first time. There were 89 players registered Tuesday morning, he said, which is the fastest it’s ever filled up. “Usually, we don’t get to 89 until the week of the event,” he said.
Royal City honors retiring public works director
ROYAL CITY — The City of Royal City said goodbye to longtime Public Works Director John Lasen with a small retirement party Friday at City Hall. “For years and years, it seemed like Royal City was the same forever and ever,” Royal City Mayor Michael Christensen said at the celebration. “But in these last 10 years in particular, we've seen some considerable change, and John has been a significant part of that, helping see the vision and oversee some of the big projects that we've done.”
Lavender donation honors late food bank director
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Food Bank received a different kind of donation Thursday. Joe Downs, owner of Lavender Ranch near Quincy, donated 70 bundles of lavender to Community Services of Moses Lake in memory of Peny Archer, the food bank’s director who passed away earlier this month. Each bundle has a photo of Archer on it.