Cowlitz Complex grows to more than 40 fires
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years AGO
Lightning struck in the south zone of the Cowlitz Complex Aug. 26. The complex so far is comprised of more than 40 small fires and a few larger ones.
COURTESY PHOTO/U.S. FOREST SERVICE
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. | September 1, 2023 1:30 AM
MOSES LAKE — The Cowlitz Complex that cropped up last weekend in Gifford Pinchot National Forest between Mount Rainier and the Columbia River has now grown to more than 40 small fires totaling about 400 acres, according to a statement from the U.S. Forest Service. The fires were ignited Aug. 25 by a lightning storm and 294 personnel have been dispatched in four divisions to fight the fires. Some of the fires that are smaller, unnamed and are less accessible are unstaffed as available resources focus on incidents of greater concern and greater likelihood of successful containment, the Forest Service wrote in an update Thursday.
Cowlitz Complex fires include Snagtooth, the largest, at 279 acres; Spencer Quartz at 160 acres; South Fork, 15 acres; Jackpot Creek, 39 acres; Bear Creek, 32 acres; and Carlton Ridge, 22 acres. None of the complex was contained Thursday afternoon and costs were estimated at more than $700,000
These fires were also burning or were recently extinguished Thursday, according to data from the National Interagency Fire Center:
• Lake Whatcom: Discovered Aug. 28 about 9 miles southeast of Bellingham, this fire had burned 45 acres Thursday. It was uncontained and costs were estimated at $150,000.
• Kindy Creek: Discovered Aug. 18 in the mountains above Lake Chelan about 75 miles northwest of Wenatchee, this blaze was at 197 acres Thursday. It was uncontained and costs were estimated at $90,000.
• Blue Lake: This blaze about 53 miles west of Omak had grown to 1,056 acres Thursday and was 31% contained. Costs were estimated at $5 million. It was discovered July 29.
• Dome Peak: This fire, located northeast of the Mt. Baker National Forest, was uncontained as of Thursday and was holding steady at 1,076 acres. The fire was reported July 29. Costs were estimated at $100,000.
• Airplane Lake: This blaze was at 3,709 acres Thursday and costs are estimated at $500,000. It is reported as uncontained and no cause has been identified. It was discovered July 7.
• Puyallup Point: Discovered Aug. 27 about 8 miles west of Mount Rainier, it was holding steady at 10 acres Thursday afternoon. Containment and cost information was not available.
• Gray: Discovered Aug. 18 about 17 miles west of Spokane, it was 91% contained at 10,085 acres Thursday. The fire was determined to be caused by human activity and costs were estimated at $8.4 million.
• Oregon Road: This fire, discovered Aug. 18 about 31 miles north of Spokane, was 83% contained Thursday at 10,817 acres. The fire was determined to be caused by human activity and costs were estimated at about $11 million.
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.