Wildfires in central Washington
QUINCY: Officials in central Washington asked some people to leave their homes immediately as a new, growing wildfire broke out west of Quincy on Monday afternoon. The Grant County Sheriff’s Office issued evacuation notices for the unincorporated community of Trinidad and areas near the resort area of Crescent Bar.
Washington’s fire marshal’s office said in the evening that state mobilization had been authorized for the Baird Springs fire, which had burned about 1.4 square miles (3.6 square kilometers) of terrain, including sedge brush and crops. It also threatened homes, gardens and processing warehouses. The fire started around 2:30 am, and the cause is under investigation.
It was headed south, according to the sheriff’s office, and State Route 28 was closed in the area as the fire burned right up to its top. An American Red Cross shelter was opening in Quincy. In southwest Washington, officials said the Tunnel 5 fire, which started on July 2 in the Columbia River Gorge, was mostly under control on Monday and all evacuation orders were lifted.
Low temperatures and increased humidity over the weekend helped firefighters bring the blaze up to 80 percent under control. The fire has burned about one square mile (about 2 square kilometers) and damaged about 10 structures.
About 1,000 residents were affected by the evacuation orders last week. Officials said firefighters would continue to patrol the area as warm temperatures and high winds return next week and fires continue to burn in some places.
The smoke will still be visible. Last year Washington experienced one of the mildest wildfire seasons in a decade, and officials have put people on alert that 2023 could be one of the wettest. The state’s Department of Ecology issued a statewide drought advisory last week.
This year our warm weather came a few weeks early and really accelerated the runoff,” said Jeff Marty, water resources planner for the Department of Ecology. Hillary Franz, state commissioner of public lands, has said the landscape is arid and just a spark can turn into a fire.
Franz said on Twitter last week, “This fire season is already highly explosive, and I am so grateful for these men and women who are giving their all to keep us safe in these dry, hot conditions. “
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