FIRE REPORT: Lake Chelan fire strands hikers
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years, 2 months AGO
An aircraft flies over Lake Chelan as part of the effort to extinguish the Pioneer Fire, which broke out Saturday in the hills above the lake.
COURTESY PHOTO/CHELAN CO. SHERIFF'S OFFICE
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. | June 11, 2024 1:30 AM
MOSES LAKE — A wildfire along the shore of Lake Chelan necessitated the evacuation of some hikers Saturday, according to a statement from the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office.
The fire, which started early Saturday afternoon near Pioneer Creek, about 30 miles northwest of the city of Chelan, spread suddenly Sunday to 300 acres, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Because the area is inaccessible by road, the CCSO brought in Marine 1, a boat with a 15-passenger capacity, in response to a report that there were hikers in the area, one with injuries, according to the CCSO statement. The CCSO first picked up a group of seven hikers, then received another report of a 16-year-old hiker who had been separated from his family along the trail. That hiker was located shortly after along with two other hikers in need of medical assistance. All the hikers were transported to safety.
The fire is believed to have been caused by a structural fire that spread, according to the Washington Department of Natural Resources. An investigation into the cause is ongoing.
The Pioneer Fire was uncontained Monday, according to the NIFC, and suppression costs were estimated at $250,000.
The 250-acre Rustlers Gulch Fire in southwestern Pend Oreille County was the only prescribed burn in Washington still going Monday, according to the NIFC.
These other fires were also burning Monday:
• The Rest Haven Fire, on the eastern outskirts of Yakima, had burned 45 acres since its discovery May 30. The fire was human-caused and containment and cost information was not available.
• The River View Fire, discovered Friday morning about 3 miles north of Yakima, was at 10 acres Monday. The fire was caused by human activity. Information about containment and cost was not available.
• The Stetson Fire, about 9 miles north of Yakima, was discovered May 19 and remained at 10 acres Monday. The blaze was human-caused, and containment and cost information was not available.
A few 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
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.