Firefighters battle large grass fires

GRANT COUNTY — Two fires burned several miles of land in Grant County over the weekend.

Multiple fire departments and federal agencies battled a 316-acre fire 10 miles west of Othello, near Royal City Friday.

The fire, which started at 2:22 p.m., was located at state Route 26 and road D. S.E., said Grant County Fire District No. 10 and No. 11 Chief Brian Evans.

It was started with a farmer on a flail mower, Evans said.

Approximately 55 firefighters were on the scene.

The fire was in the jurisdiction of Grant County Fire District No. 11, covering Royal Camp. They were joined by Fire District No. 4, No. 5, No. 6, No. 10 and No. 13 in Grant County, Adams County Fire District No. 5, Franklin County Fire District No. 4 and the Hanford Fire Department.

"The lucky, lucky part for that area is there's plenty of irrigation around it," said Grant County Emergency Management Director Sam Lorenz.

The fire spread into Columbia Wildlife Refuge territory, and the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife is responsible for protecting the refuge, Lorenz said.

American Red Cross transported firefighters to the scene and prepared lunches on Saturday, he said.

As of Sunday, firefighters were still at the scene mopping up the fire.

"We declared it contained on Saturday night, at approximately 8 p.m.," Evans said.

The cost to contain the fire was approximately $70,000, he said.

A second fire started Saturday at the Southeast Ridge of Camp Delaney, near Sun Lake State Park along state Route 17, within the jurisdiction of Grant County Fire District No. 7, Lorenz said.

Grant County Fire District No. 7 was joined by Grant County Fire Districts No. 5, No. 6 and No. 12, and Coulee City Fire Department in responding to the fire.

Lorenz noted the fire was inaccessible to firefighters and no aircraft were available to fight it.

When the report came in, the fire was two acres in size. It grew to two by three miles.

"The cool air of the evening came in and it burned itself out," Evans said. "So the fire laid down and it didn't progress."

Firefighters mopped up where they could access the fire, he said.

A private plane flew over the scene and found hot spots still burning on Sunday, Lorenz said. The fire rekindled at approximately 3 p.m.

Lorenz was unsure whether the fire was still burning.

Calls Monday morning to Grant County Fire District No. 7 went unanswered.

Smoke from both fires added to the smoke extending from a large wild-land fire near Wenatchee. For more information about the Wenatchee fire, see page A5.