FIRE REPORT: Olympic blazes still growing, Dorian fire 30% contained
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years AGO
The Delabarre fire in Olympic National Park ballooned this week to 3,978 acres.
COURTESY PHOTO/US 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 21, 2023 1:20 AM
KENNEWICK — The Dorian fire outside of Wallula between Kennewick and Walla Walla, was 30% contained at 200 acres Wednesday according to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. It was human-caused, according to the DNR, but the specific cause was under investigation.
Fire danger remains high over most of central and eastern Washington, according to the DNR, except in the southwest Washington Cascades and parts of Chelan and Okanogan counties, where the danger was rated as extreme. Air quality was good through most of the Columbia Basin, but Odessa and Mesa reported moderate air quality.
These fires were also burning Wednesday, according to data from the National Interagency Fire Center:
Delabarre: This fire in Olympic National Park was at 3,554. Estimated costs were $5 million. It was uncontained Wednesday. The fire was discovered Sept. 1.
Low Divide: This fire in the Olympic National Forest was discovered Sept. 1 and was at 312 acres Wednesday. It was uncontained and costs were estimated at $125,000. The cause was determined to be natural.
Cowlitz Complex: This 30-fire complex in Gifford Pinchot National Forest had grown slightly Wednesday to 715 acres. The complex was still 34% contained. The fires originated Aug. 25.
Diamond Mountain: This fire about 25 miles south of Port Angeles was discovered Sept. 1 and remained at 30 acres Wednesday. The cause was determined to be natural. It was uncontained and costs were estimated at $10,000.
Martin Lake: This fire in the Olympic National Forest was discovered Sept. 1 and was at 108 acres Wednesday. It was uncontained and costs were estimated at $50,000.
Eagle Point: Discovered Aug. 29 about 12 miles south of Port Angeles, this fire was still at 128 acres Wednesday. It was still uncontained and costs were estimated at $100,000.
Blue Lake: This blaze about 53 miles west of Omak was still 80% contained Wednesday at 1,074 acres. Costs were estimated at $5.75 million. It was discovered July 29.
Eagle Bluff: This fire, southwest of Oroville near the Canadian border, has burned 16,428 acres. The fire has cost about $9.9 million and was fully contained Wednesday. The cause is unknown.
Sourdough: Burning in the Ross Lake National Recreation Area in the north Cascades since July 29, it was still 25% contained Wednesday at 6,369 acres. Costs are estimated at $24 million.
Oregon Road: This fire discovered Aug. 18 about 31 miles north of Spokane was still 99% contained at 10,817 acres Wednesday. Costs are estimated at $14.2 million.
Dome Peak: This fire, located northeast of Mt. Baker National Forest, was still uncontained as of Wednesday and had burned 1,477 acres. The fire was reported July 29. Costs were estimated at $100,000.
Lake Whatcom: Discovered Aug. 28 about 9 miles southeast of Bellingham, this fire was 100% contained and remained at 40 acres Wednesday. Costs were estimated at $850,000.
Kindy Creek: Discovered Aug. 18 in the Cascades above Lake Chelan about 75 miles northwest of Wenatchee, this blaze had grown to 210 acres Wednesday. It was uncontained and costs were estimated at $90,000.
Airplane Lake: This blaze about 53 miles northwest of Wenatchee burned 6,677 acres Wednesday and costs are estimated at $500,000. It is reported as uncontained and no cause has been identified. It was discovered July 7.
Chocolate Creek: This blaze about 58 miles northwest of Wenatchee was still uncontained Wednesday, holding steady at 15 acres. Costs were estimated at $90,000.
Gray: Discovered Aug. 18 about 17 miles west of Spokane, it was still 99% contained at 10,085 acres Wednesday. The fire was determined to be caused by human activity and costs were estimated at $10.4 million.
Consalus: 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 Wednesday. Authorities report that the cause of the fire is 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
MOSES LAKE — A Moses Lake author’s book, “A Christian Woman Striving to Live Her Faith in a Man-Controlled World,” takes aim at the role to which many churches relegate the female half of their congregations. “It’s to encourage women in the faith,” Linda Curran said. “A lot of churches say, ‘Teach Sunday school, do this, do that, but don’t (evangelize.)’" In her book, Curran recounts a time when she moved to a new community and joined a church there. She was surprised to learn that, as a new female member, she had been automatically assigned church cleaning duties. When she questioned it, she wrote, she was met with condescension and her objections were brushed aside. In other churches, she said, women who were capable of teaching were relegated to “women’s ministry.”