FIRE REPORT: Sunbanks Fire mostly extinguished
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years, 1 month 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 [email protected].
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.