FIRE REPORT: Fire closes one side of I-82, Cowlitz Complex expected to slow down
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years, 1 month AGO
Flames and charred sagebrush mark the site of the Tendollar fire that was burning along I-82 Sunday.
COURTESY PHOTO/WASHDOT
Crews battle the Tendollar fire along I-82 between Yakima and Ellensburg Sunday. A variety of vehicles are used throughout Washington to deal with different types of fires from burning shrub-steppe to mountainous forests.
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 11, 2023 4:12 PM
MOSES LAKE — The 182-acre Tendollar fire that sprang up Sunday on I-82 between Yakima and Ellensburg was 40% contained Monday, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Costs were estimated at $150,000. The fire briefly closed the eastbound lanes of the freeway, according to the Washington Department of Transportation.
The 30-fire Cowlitz Complex in Gifford Pinchot National Forest between Mount Rainier and the Columbia River was still 12% contained Monday at 661 acres, according to the National Forest Service. The weather was expected to cool by as much as 10 degrees, the Forest Service wrote, slowing down fire activity. A total of 330 personnel were working on the fires. Costs were estimated at a little over $8.5 million.
These fires were also burning Monday, according to data from the NIFC:
• Eagle Point: Discovered Aug. 29 about 12 miles south of Port Angeles, this fire was uncontained at 80 acres Monday and costs were estimated at $100,000.
• Salmo Basin: This fire, on the Canadian border 55 miles north of Newport, stood at 75 acres Monday. The blaze was discovered July 30. Containment information was not available. Costs are estimated at $500,000.
• Blue Lake: This blaze about 53 miles west of Omak was 80% contained Monday at 1,075 acres. Costs were estimated at $5 million. It was discovered July 29.
• Yellepit: This fire, discovered Sept. 1 about 14 miles southeast of Kennewick on the Columbia River, has burned 1,582 acres. It was 100% contained Monday and costs were estimated at $100,000.
• Oregon Road: This fire discovered Aug. 18 about 31 miles north of Spokane was 97% contained at 10,817 acres Monday. Costs are estimated at $14 million.
• Sourdough: Burning in the Ross Lake National Recreation Area in the north Cascades since July 29, it was still 30% contained Monday at 6,234 acres. Costs are estimated at $24 million.
• Lake Whatcom: Discovered Aug. 28 about 9 miles southeast of Bellingham, this fire was still 90% contained at 40 acres Monday. Costs were estimated at $700,000.
• Kindy Creek: Discovered Aug. 18 in the mountains above Lake Chelan about 75 miles northwest of Wenatchee, this blaze was still at 197 acres Monday. It was uncontained and costs were estimated at $90,000.
• Airplane Lake: This blaze about 53 miles northwest of Wenatchee burned 5,160 acres Monday and costs are estimated at $500,000. It is reported as uncontained and no cause has been identified. It was discovered July 7.
• Diamond Mountain: This fire about 25 miles south of Port Angeles was discovered Sept. 1 and was uncontained at 20 acres Monday. The cause was determined to be natural.
• Chocolate Creek: This blaze about 58 miles northwest of Wenatchee was uncontained Monday at 15 acres. Costs were estimated at $90,000.
• Dome Peak: This fire, located northeast of Mt. Baker National Forest, was still uncontained as of Monday and was holding steady at 1,076 acres. The fire was reported July 29. Costs were estimated at $100,000.
• Gray: discovered Aug. 18 about 17 miles west of Spokane, it was 98% contained at 10,085 acres Monday. The fire was determined to be caused by human activity and costs were estimated at $10 million.
• Toothaker: 300 acres burned about 8 miles southeast of Kennewick. The fire was discovered Aug. 17. It was 100% contained Monday with costs estimated at $350,000.
• Consalus Incident: Around 475 acres burned near the Idaho border due east of the Little Oreille National Wildlife Refuge. The fire has cost about $12 million and was 100% contained Monday. Authorities report that the cause of the fire was natural.
Several other fires are reported throughout the state but have burned less than 10 acres and are not included in this report. The majority are less than 1 acre.
Joel Martin may be reached by email at [email protected].
ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Endless battle
Noxious Weed Control Board works to keep invasive plants under control
MOSES LAKE — Some of the nastiest plants in Grant County were the topic of a class led by Jay Johnson, a consultant with the Grant County Noxious Weed Control Board, Tuesday. The Noxious Weed Control Board, as its name would suggest, is tasked with keeping weeds under control in Grant County. That’s not a small job; the board’s website lists 129 species of noxious weeds that are found around Grant County. A noxious weed is defined as an invasive, non-native plant that threatens agricultural crops, local ecosystems or fish and wildlife habitat, according to the Noxious Weed Control Board. Washington state law requires that these weeds be identified and their spread kept to a minimum, if not completely eradicated. “We’re one of those agencies a lot of people don’t really understand,” Johnson said. “We’re a county office and … our funding is tax-based assessment. When you get your tax bill and you look down at all the expenses that you pay for, there we are.”
BASIN EVENTS: Oct. 16-24
COLUMBIA BASIN — Whether you feel like shopping, crafting, learning or seeing a show, there’s something happening for you this week in the Basin. Oct. 16 ‘My Family (Mi Familia)’ screening Spanning three generations, “My Family (Mi Familia)” is a heartfelt drama that follows the Sánchez family as they build their lives in East Los Angeles. Through love, hardship, triumph, and sacrifice, the film explores the immigrant experience, the strength of family bonds, and the traditions that connect one generation to the next. Lowrider show and taco truck before the screening. Sponsored by Columbia Basin Allied Arts, EDUBS C/S and the Moses Lake Creative District. $12 per person. Doors open at 6 p.m., film begins at 7 p.m. at the Moses Lake Civic Center Auditorium, 401 S. Balsam St. Tickets and info: www.cba-arts.org.
Moses Lake author encourages women to look beyond church culture norms
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