150-plus acres burn north of Othello, west of Warden
NANCE BESTON | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 month, 3 weeks AGO
WARDEN – At around 5 p.m. Friday, it was announced that there was a fire in the 12000 block of Seep Lake Road in Grant County. The fire started at around 10 to 15 acres and quickly spread to 137 acres. As of 8:20 p.m. Friday it was estimated to be at 178 acres, per firefighter radio traffic, but appeared to be slowing in growth with firefighting assets being released from the scene.
Grant County Fire District 4, Grant County Fire District 5, Grant County Fire District 10, Grant County Fire District 11 and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife were seen heading to the blaze.
No further information has been released to the public. The Columbia Basin Herald will have a follow-up when more information is made available.
A Grant County Fire District 5 tender heads out to a fire in the Seeps Lake wildlife park.ARTICLES BY NANCE BESTON
Mayor Peter Sharp takes oath of office
SOAP LAKE – Grant County Commissioner Kevin Burgess adminstered the oath of office to Mayor Peter Sharp Wednesday. Sharp was previously appointed to this role at the Sept. 18, 2024, council meeting after his predecessor Allen DuPay quit during the Aug. 7, 2024, meeting.
Newhouse, colleagues introduce infrastructure bill
WASHINGTON D.C. — On November 21, 2025, a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers introduced the Urban Canal Modernization Act, HR 6279, aimed at addressing the deteriorating condition of urban canal infrastructure across the country. This legislation, sponsored by Representatives Dan Newhouse, R-WA; Mike Simpson, R-ID; Adam Gray, D-CA; and Russ Fulcher, R-ID focuses on providing federal support for the extraordinary operation and maintenance of urban canals deemed to be at significant risk of failure. “As communities in Grant County and elsewhere face serious risks from aging canal systems, it is imperative that we act now to ensure vital water infrastructure is maintained and upgraded,” Newhouse wrote in a statement. “The Bureau of Reclamation’s canals are in dire need of repairs, and the surrounding communities who rely on them would be at risk if they were to fail. This legislation provides local authorities with additional resources to manage these critical pieces of infrastructure while protecting the people and property around canals of concern.”
Ephrata water tower waiting for final tests
EPHRATA — The City of Ephrata is still waiting for the final testing to come back to the water tower. The city had originally hoped the tower would be connected to the water system by Thanksgiving; however, the intensive water testing is taking longer than anticipated.