Wildland fire burns 1,750 acres near Warden

Evacuation order lifted

WARDEN - A wildland fire burning 1,750 acres south of Warden was considered 70 percent contained late Monday afternoon.

An evacuation order for about 100 people living nearby was lifted Monday morning, fire officials said.

Higher estimates appearing in other news sources initially showed that 4,300 acres had burned near the Seep Lakes area.

A GPS survey performed later showed the lower acreage amount of 1,750 acres burned, said public information officer Barbie Maier of Grant County Fire District No. 5.

She said the earlier estimate was tabulated during the night before the scene was surveyed from the air.

"It ended up being much better than we originally determined," Maier said.

Between 90 and 95 firefighters were still on the fire lines at 4 p.m. Monday, she said. Some of the firefighters are staying overnight at Warden High School.

A state mobilization team of about 20 to 25 firefighters was called about 3 a.m. Sunday to help local firefighters, said Grant County Fire District No. 4 Assistant Chief Jeff Whitaker.

About 15 firefighters from Grant

County Fire Districts No. 4 and 5, Ephrata, Quincy and Moses Lake also fought the fire, Whitaker said.

Equipment used at the fire included 25 engines, 6 tenders and one helicopter, said Paul Perz of the state Fire Marshal's Office.

Whitaker said Monday was supposed to be hot with the chance of thunder, so firefighters were working to get as much of area mopped up as possible, he said.

The fire apparently started after a vehicle rolled on Seep Lakes Road about 6:45 p.m. Sunday.

Five people in the car were taken to area hospitals and didn't appear to have life-threatening injuries, Maier said.