FIRE REPORT: Four wildfires burning in E. Washington
R. HANS MILLER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 months AGO
A vew of the Pomas fire from the headwaters of the Entiat River Valley.
COURTESY PHOTO/INCIWEB
Managing Editor Rob Miller is a 4-year U.S. Army veteran who grew up in Western Montana in a community about the size of Soap Lake. An honors graduate of Texas State University, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Brandee, and their three dogs, Draco, Pepper and Cinnamon. He has one son, William. During his free time, he enjoys photography, video games, reading and working on the house he and his wife bought in Ephrata. He is passionate about the First Amendment and educating communities. | July 18, 2025 1:15 AM
MOSES LAKE — More than 17,000 acres have been impacted by currently active wildfires in Eastern Washington, with another roughly 500-acre blaze burning on the West Side, according to state and federal sources.
Firefighters have made significant progress with some of the fires, with the Greenacres Fire in Okanogan County burning about 921 acres of land, 5 miles north of Omak. The fire is reported at 95% contained and is being transferred to local fire crews, according to a release from the Northeast Washington Interagency Incident Management Team.
“Fire crews made good progress on containing the fire. Fire crews in all divisions focused on mopping up around all structures and securing the fire line. This has led to a containment of 95%,” the NWIIMT statement read.
Since the fire began in early June, 13 structures have been destroyed, including seven homes. It took 156 firefighters and support staff to knock the fire down.
The Hope Fire has burned more than 7,400 acres to date after igniting July 8 about 15 miles north of Kettle Falls. More than 960 firefighters and support personnel are fighting the fire, which is burning in timber, brush and short grass.
Nearly 5,800 acres have burned in the Western Pines Fire, with about 250 people working to fight the fire. It is considered 60% contained and began July 9.
The Pomas Fire continues to burn due north of Leavenworth near the north end of Lake Chelan in rugged terrain, closing portions of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest near the Glacier Peak Wilderness. To date, the fire has burned more than 3,500 acres and firefighters have used about 1.6 million gallons of water and 29,000 gallons of fire retardant to contain it. The Silver Falls, Cottonwood, Lake Creek, Fox Creek, Three Creek, Spruce Grove, North Fork, Snowshoe Spring, Handy Spring, Junior Point, Grouse Mountain and Halfway Springs campgrounds as well as associated or nearby trails, are closed.
Smoke from these and other fires is visible in Grant and Adams counties, but air quality index readings for the area are still in the good range.
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: In appreciation of educators ...
An experience I recently had with a school district, quite honestly, has left me gob-smacked a bit. I am in awe of the teachers and administrators at school districts throughout the region and what they have to deal with. Let me get back to the beginning, though. Journalists often cover a wide variety of topics and are constantly looking for ideas for stories that will matter to readers. As such, when we hear of events of interest, we sometimes ask to attend so we can either cover it, or, as in this case, learn how to cover a topic better.