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Fire report: New blaze flares up on Hanford Reservation

JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 7 months, 1 week AGO
by JOEL MARTIN
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 13, 2024 1:20 AM

MOSES LAKE — A wildfire kindled suddenly Wednesday morning on the Hanford Reservation, and was estimated at 150 acres at a little after 2 p.m., according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Dubbed the Cold Creek Fire, the blaze about 24 miles northwest of Richland was caused by human activity, according to the NIFC. 

The 693-acre Palisades Road Fire about 9 miles north of Quincy was 75% contained Wednesday, according to the NIFC. Costs were estimated at $95,000.

The Grove Fire west of Spokane was reevaluated at 75 acres Wednesday, and evacuation notices for most areas had been downgraded to level 1, according to Spokane County Fire District 3. A few areas still had level 2 (be ready to leave) notices.

These other fires were also burning in Washington Wednesday, according to the NIFC:

• The Pioneer Fire on Lake Chelan about 30 miles northwest of Wenatchee had grown to 672 acres Wednesday. The cause was undetermined. The fire was uncontained and suppression costs are estimated at $10 million.

• The Quake Fire, discovered June 11 just west of Kennewick, had burned 10 acres Wednesday. The cause was unknown and cost and containment information was not available.

• The River View Fire, discovered June 7 about 3 miles north of Yakima, held steady at 10 acres Wednesday. 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 Wednesday. 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 jmartin@columbiabasinherald.com.

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