FIRE REPORT: Yakima Valley fire threatens town, Pioneer Fire swells again
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years, 2 months AGO
The Beam Road Fire in the Yakima Valley threatened homes and crops Saturday, but by Monday was partially contained and all evacuation notices had been downgraded to level 1.
COURTESY PHOTO/ALERTWILDFIRE
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 18, 2024 1:20 AM
MOSES LAKE — Evacuation notices for the Yakima Valley town of Zillah were downgraded Monday to level 1 as crews fight the Beam Road Fire, which flared up Saturday afternoon. The fire was 42% contained at 8,542 acres, and costs were estimated at $1.5 million, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. State fire assistance was mobilized Saturday to fight the blaze, which spread rapidly in high winds and dry grass and threatened homes, crops, main power lines and livestock.
The Pioneer Fire on the shore of Lake Chelan about 30 miles northwest of Wenatchee continues to grow and was up to more than 3,800 acres Monday. Eight aircraft and 353 personnel were dedicated to fighting the blaze located in an uninhabited area with steep terrain that has impeded suppression efforts. The fire was human-caused, according to the Department of Natural Resources, but the specific cause is still under investigation.
These other fires were also burning in Washington on Monday, according to the NIFC:
• The Camas Road fire in Wapato, about 11 miles southeast of Yakima, was at 72 acres Monday. Information about containment and costs was not yet available.
• The Neff Road fire, discovered Saturday about 20 miles northeast of Pasco, was at 250 acres Monday. Cost and containment information were not available.
• The Nisqually John Fire, discovered Friday morning about 10 miles northwest of Lewiston, Idaho, was fully contained Monday at 1,207 acres. The cause was unknown, and costs are estimated at $211,297.
• 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 Monday.
• The Stetson Fire, about 9 miles north of Yakima, was discovered May 19 and remained at 10 acres Monday. The cause of the fire was human activity. 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.