FIRE REPORT: Spokane neighborhood evacuated
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years, 2 months AGO
A fast-spreading wildfire spurred level 3 evacuation orders near Spokane Tuesday afternoon. A fire near Quincy caused a brief evacuation order overnight as well.
COURTESY PHOTO/SPOKANE COUNTY FIRE DISTRICT 3
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 12, 2024 1:30 AM
SPOKANE — A fast-spreading wildfire triggered level 3 (leave now) evacuation orders to a 2.5-square mile area southwest of Spokane Tuesday afternoon, according to Spokane County Fire District 3.
The Grove Fire was reported about 2 p.m. near Marshall Creek between Spokane and Cheney, and the evacuation notices went out before 3 p.m. The fire had apparently started with a slash pile and spread into the surrounding brush, according to SCFD 3. Aircraft working to suppress the blaze reported it to be about 85 acres by 4:05 p.m.
The Red Cross had set up an evacuation meeting point at the Shriners Event Center in southwestern Spokane, according to Spokane County Emergency Management.
Level 2 (be ready) evacuation notices were issued Monday night for the Palisades Road Fire about 9 miles north of Quincy but were reduced to level 1 (be alert) Tuesday morning, according to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. The fire was contained at 693 acres Tuesday afternoon and no structures were threatened.
These other fires were also burning in Washington on Tuesday, according to the National Interagency Fire Center:
• The Marsh Fire, reported Tuesday afternoon in the Terrace Heights neighborhood of Yakima, triggered level 2 evacuation notices which were rescinded a couple of hours later, according to the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office. Information about acreage, containment and costs was not available at press time.
• The Peony Fire about 22 miles northeast of Omak was discovered Tuesday and had grown to 10 acres. The cause was human activity and containment and cost information was not available.
• The Pioneer Fire on Lake Chelan about 30 miles northwest of Wenatchee had grown to 612 acres Tuesday. The cause was undetermined. The fire was uncontained and suppression costs are estimated at $10 million.
• The Quake Fire, discovered Tuesday afternoon just west of Kennewick, burned 10 acres. The cause was unknown and cost and containment information was not available.
• The River View Fire, discovered Friday morning about 3 miles north of Yakima, remained at 10 acres Tuesday. 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 Tuesday. 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.