FIRE REPORT: Rain stops Cowlitz Complex fire growth
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years AGO
The ground at the Incident Command Post for the Cowlitz Complex of fires was muddy Wednesday after an inch of rain fell on the area.
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 27, 2023 4:26 PM
MOSES LAKE — About an inch of rain fell on the Cowlitz Complex fires in the Cascades on Tuesday, with more expected Wednesday, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The 30-fire complex, which has been burning since Aug. 25 in the Cascades between Mount Rainier and the Columbia River, has been showing little to no activity since the rain began, although the Grassy Mountain fire was still producing a small amount of smoke. The complex was 39% contained Wednesday at 731 acres. Cost estimates had risen to $18.3 million.
Fire danger remains high over most of central and eastern Washington despite the cooler, wetter weather, according to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Air quality was good for the Columbia Basin on Wednesday, with air quality indices ranging from two in Coulee City Dam to 14 in Moses Lake. An AQI of 50 or less is considered good.
These fires were burning Wednesday in Washington, according to data from the National Interagency Fire Center:
Airplane Lake: This blaze about 53 miles northwest of Wenatchee held steady at 6,956 acres Wednesday and costs are estimated at $500,000. It is still 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, and held steady at 38 acres. Costs were estimated at $90,000.
Delabarre: This fire in Olympic National Park held steady at 3,658 acres Wednesday and was still uncontained. Estimated costs were $5 million. The fire was discovered Sept. 1.
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.
Dome Peak: This fire, located in the 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.
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.
Eagle Point: Discovered Aug. 29 about 12 miles south of Port Angeles, this fire was still uncontained at 128 acres Wednesday. Costs were estimated at $100,000.
Evans Road: This fire discovered Sept. 22 held steady at 11 acres Wednesday about 26 miles northeast of Longview. Cost and containment information was not available.
Kindy Creek: Discovered Aug. 18 in the Cascades above Lake Chelan about 75 miles northwest of Wenatchee, this blaze remained at 210 acres Wednesday. It was uncontained and costs were estimated at $90,000.
Low Divide: This fire in the Olympic National Forest was discovered Sept. 1 and remained at 312 acres Wednesday. It was uncontained and costs were estimated at $125,000. The cause was determined to be natural.
Martin Lake: This fire in the Olympic National Forest was discovered Sept. 1 and was still at 108 acres Wednesday. It was uncontained and costs were estimated at $50,000.
Sourdough: Burning in the Ross Lake National Recreation Area in the north Cascades since July 29, it was still 25% contained Wednesday at 7,377 acres. Costs are estimated at $24 million.
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 Wednesday and costs were estimated at $100,000.
Several other fires are reported throughout the state but have burned less than 10 acres and are not included in this report.
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.”