Regional fire report for July 27
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years, 7 months AGO
An aerial view of the Wawawai fire about five miles west of Pullman.
COURTESY PHOTO/NWIIMT
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 27, 2023 1:30 AM
PULLMAN — The Wawawai fire, about five miles west of Pullman, had burned 526 acres Wednesday, according to a statement from the Northeast Washington Interagency Incident Management Team.
The fire, which was discovered Monday evening, is located about two miles from Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River and about a mile and a half from Wawawai County Park. Level 1 evacuation notices (“Be ready”) have been issued for a small area between the river and Wawawai-Pullman Road, according to the NWIIMT. 170 personnel are on site, the statement added.
The reported cause is lightning, according to the NWIIMT statement. The blaze is 0% contained and the estimated cost was $100,000, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
The Newell Road fire, about 17 miles east of Goldendale, has grown to 59,848 acres, according to the NIFC. SR 14 was closed in both direction from U.S. 97 to SR 221, about 14 miles west of the Umatilla Bridge. It was 40% contained Wednesday with costs estimated at $5,000,000.
These wildfires were also burning in Washington Wednesday, according to the NIFC:
• Green Canyon, about 11 miles north of Davenport: 20 acres. Fire discovered July 25, Containment and cost information not available.
• Newell Road, about 17 miles east of Goldendale: 59,848 acres. 40% contained. Costs estimated at $5,000,000.
• Ione Road, about 10 miles north of Pasco: 114 acres. Fire discovered July 24. Containment and cost information not available.
• Consalus, about 20 miles north of Newport: 475 acres. Fire discovered June 30. 40% contained. Costs estimated at $10,000,000.
• John Day Dam, about 9 miles southeast of Goldendale: 60 acres. Fire discovered July 8. Containment and cost information not available.
• Airplane Lake, about 50 miles northwest of Chelan: 6 acres. Fire discovered July 7. 0% contained. Costs estimated at $50,000.
• Badger, about five miles northeast of Wenatchee. 473 acres. Fire discovered July 20. 100% contained. Costs estimated at $820,000.
ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Space Burger booth open March 13-15
MOSES LAKE — Those who can’t wait for the Grant County Fair can get their Space Burger fix next weekend, according to an announcement from the Lioness Club of Moses Lake. The iconic Grant County sandwiches will be available at the Grant County Fairgrounds March 13-15, according to the announcement. There is no admission fee to get into the fairgrounds that weekend.
SENIOR EVENTS: March 2026
COLUMBIA BASIN — Plays, art shows, auctions and more await seniors in the Columbia Basin this month. Here are some opportunities to get out and about in March.
Valentine’s Day cards flood Brookdale Hearthstone with love
MOSES LAKE — Residents at Brookdale Hearthstone Assisted Living in Moses Lake got Valentine’s Day greetings from across the country last month. “I believe that the only states we have not received (cards from) yet are Vermont and Maine,” Lifestyle Director Imelda Broyles said Feb. 24. “We keep receiving new cards every single day. They have not stopped. My residents are in awe with every single one of the cards that we’ve been receiving.” The Hearts Across America project started as a way for children in school classrooms to exchange Valentine’s Day cards with classes in other states or even countries, but the idea has expanded to senior living facilities, according to the project’s social media.