News Bites for April 23, 2024

KENNEWICK — A fire in the Tri-Cities prompted Level 3 evacuation notices Sunday, according to statements from the Benton County Sheriff’s Office and Benton County Fire District 1.

The blaze began about 5:15 a.m. as a structure fire on East Bowles Road in the Finley area, according to BCFD 1. It involved a 525,000-square-foot frozen food warehouse and also ignited grass, brush and trees, threatening homes and infrastructure. A Level 3 (go now) evacuation notice was issued at about 4:45 p.m. and lifted at 6 p.m. No injuries were reported. 

The fire was smoldering and smoking Monday morning, according to BCFD 1, and a strike team was on site in case of further activity. A quantity of anhydrous ammonia was removed form the plant Monday under the supervision of the Washington State Department of Ecology for safety’s sake.

MOSES LAKE — Grant County Fire District 5 firefighters are heralding the importance of wearing life jackets after they helped a Yakima couple whose boat capsized in O’Sullivan Reservoir Saturday night, according to a statement from the GCSO.

Responders were called just after midnight Sunday to the Perch Point Resort in the 5900 block of Road J Southeast after the couple swam to shore and sought help from campers, the GCSO wrote. GCFD 5 and LifeLine EMTs found the couple in their 40s suffering from exposure. The couple was transported to Samaritan Healthcare for treatment.

The couple appeared to have been in the water for over 90 minutes, according to the statement. GCFD 5 credited life jackets for helping save the couple’s lives.

MOSES LAKE — A Moses Lake woman was arrested for burglary in Cascade Valley, according to a statement from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.

Victoria Lyn Bragg, 51, was booked into Grant County Jail on suspicion of first-degree burglary and two counts of intimidating a public servant, according to county records.

GCSO deputies investigating a home burglary around 3:45 p.m. in the 7800 block of Grove Road Northeast were summoned by a neighbor who said a woman was inside her car and then ran into her backyard, according to the statement. Deputies ran next door and the suspect, later identified as Bragg, fled, fell, rolled over and pulled out a large knife. Deputies drew their handguns and commanded the Bragg to drop the knife. Instead, she jumped a fence, cut her wrist on the fence and ran toward the home where the original burglary happened. Deputies blocked the Bragg’s path while they and Moses Lake Police Department officers negotiated with her eventually trading a bottle of water in exchange for her dropping the knife.

Bragg was transported to Samaritan Hospital for treatment, according to the statement. She was treated, released and escorted out of the emergency room after she reportedly attempted to bite and assault deputies.