Lower Crab Creek fire out, others still burning
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years, 5 months AGO
Royal Slope Fire & Rescue extinguished this fire Friday near Potholes State Park, but several others are still burning around the state.
COURTESY PHOTO/GCSO
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. | June 27, 2023 1:30 AM
BEVERLY — A wildfire that blazed up east of Beverly over the weekend is out, according to Grant County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Kyle Foreman.
The fire consumed about 65 acres, according to Neil Vargas, assistant chief for Grant County Fire District 10, which responded to the blaze. There were no injuries, Vargas added. No further information was available Monday afternoon, as Bureau of Land Management personnel were on the scene and no report had been made yet.
These wildfires were also burning in Washington as of Monday afternoon, according to the Wildland Fire Interagency Geospatial Service and the NOAA Office of Satellite and Product Operations:
• Drumheller, between Moses Lake and Ephrata: 929 acres. Fire started June 14. 25% contained.
• Oasis, about seven miles west of Touchet: 4,250 acres. Fire started June 19. 100% contained.
• South Satus, about 14 miles southeast of Toppenish: 997 acres. Fire started June 13. 100% contained.
• Hansen Road, about one mile south of Benton City: 6,289 acres. Fire started June 13. 100% contained.
• Ruppert Road, about three miles north of Benton City: 155 acres. Fire started June 13. 100% contained.
• Hover Park, three miles southeast of Finley, 528 acres. Fire started June 13. 100% contained.
• Sutherland, about 10 miles west of Port Angeles: 108 acres. Fire started June 17. 90% contained.
• Old Naches, about one mile southeast of Naches: 645 acres. Fire started June 7. 0% contained.
ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
‘Our favorite time of year’
Shop with a Cop brings smiles to both children and officers
MOSES LAKE — The heavy police presence outside local stores recently wasn’t because of a crime wave. It was police officers engaging in their favorite annual event. “This is one of those times throughout the year that we don't have to go and ask for volunteers to help,” said Moses Lake Police Chief David Sands. “The first day we put it out, I think we got 20-some people say ‘Yeah, we’re in.’ That's just under half the department right away.“
BASIN EVENTS: Dec. 19-27
COLUMBIA BASIN — It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and a lot of people will be spending time at home with their families or at the church of their choice. Still, there are a few things happening around the Basin. Here are some ideas:
Chimney maintenance is essential for safety
MOSES LAKE — With Christmas just around the corner, lots of folks are using their fireplaces for warmth, roasting chestnuts or just a pleasant atmosphere. But before Santa pays your chimney a visit, you should make sure it’s in good working order. Chimney fires are responsible for more than three-fourths of residential building heating fires, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Regular inspections and cleaning are the best way to prevent that, said Michael Harper, known as The Chimney Guy. “If they’re using (the fireplace) aesthetically – date night, Christmas, New Year’s, show-off times, something in the background here and there, (they should) have it inspected once a year for peace of mind,” Harper said. “If they’re using it two to three days a week religiously through the winter months, they need to have it cleaned once a year.”