FIRE REPORT: Sunbanks Fire mostly extinguished
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 months AGO
An aircraft drops water on the Sunbanks Fire Tuesday. The blaze, which burned 100 acres in Electric City, was mostly out Wednesday.
GRAND COULEE VFD PHOTO
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. | July 18, 2024 1:25 AM
ELECTRIC CITY — The Sunbanks Fire that flared up Tuesday afternoon in Electric City was mostly out Wednesday, according to a statement from the Grand Coulee Volunteer Fire Department. No flames were visible, but small flare-ups continued to appear. The fire burned 100 acres before it was extinguished, but no structures were reported lost.
One firefighter was evaluated at the scene for possible heat-related problems, but fully recovered.
The fire did cause evacuation notices to be sent out at a Level 2 from Sunny Drive to Fifth Street north of Electric City at about 3:30 p.m. Boaters were asked to stay away from the area so that a helicopter could access the lake to drop water on the fire. The evacuation notice was lowered to Level 1 shortly after 6 p.m. and was canceled at about 7:20 p.m.
The Pioneer Fire, which has been growing steadily on the eastern shore of Lake Chelan since June 8, was up to 23,529 acres Wednesday and 14% contained. The small community of Stehekin is under a level 1, or “get ready” evacuation notice.
The majority of Washington, including all of Central Washington, remains under a red flag warning for extreme fire danger, per the National Weather Service.
These other fires were also burning in Washington on Wednesday, according to the National Interagency Fire Center:
• The Cougar Creek Fire, which was discovered Monday in the Blue Mountains about 50 miles east of Walla Walla, was uncontained at 842 acres Wednesday. Costs were estimated at $20 million.
• The Donkey Fire, discovered Friday about 30 miles northwest of Longview, remained fully contained Tuesday at 38 acres. Cost of suppression was estimated at $986,450. The cause was listed as human activity.
• The Shoofly Fire in the Cascades about 45 miles northwest of Wenatchee remained 56% contained Wednesday at 104 acres. The fire has been burning since July 8. Cost of suppressing the blaze was calculated at $10 million.
• The Wallace Walker Fire, discovered Monday about 33 miles northeast of Pasco held steady at 561 acres Wednesday. Cost and containment information was not available.
Other fires reported throughout the state have burned less than 10 acres and are not included in this report. The majority are less than 1 acre.
Air quality was moderate Wednesday for the Basin, according to the website AirNow, which is operated by a consortium of government agencies.
Joel Martin may be reached by email at jmartin@columbiabasinherald.com.