Fireworks started weekend blaze
Fire destroys a vehicle during a large wildland fire Sunday near Moses Lake.
Fireworks were found to be the cause of the fire that burned 1,000 acres near Moses Lake Sunday.
MOSES LAKE — Fireworks were found to be the cause of the fire that destroyed a home and a garage and damaged four other storage buildings near Moses Lake Sunday.
The fire began around 3 p.m., said Grant County Fire District 5 Information Officer Barbara Maier.
The fire originated on Stonecrest Drive, north of Moses Lake, said Grant County Fire District 5 Battalion Chief Leonard Johnson. Fireworks caused the fire, according to the Grant County Fire Marshal’s Office. A report was to be forwarded to the Grant County Prosecutor’s Office.
The fire burned a little more than 1,000 acres of cheatgrass and sagebrush, he said. It extended about 2.5 miles from Stonecrest Drive to about Road 7.8.
A married couple and their two dogs were displaced by the fire, Johnson said. The Apple Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross is assisting them with shelter needs.
During the fire, a level-three evacuation was issued to residents in the area, as the fire was wind-driven and spreading fast, he explained. Some residents were evacuated but allowed back in their homes the same night. Several roads were closed as more than 50 firefighters battled the blaze.
Firefighters from Grant County Fire District 13, Ephrata Fire Department and equipment from Grant County Fire District 4 assisted during the fire, Maier said. While District 5 was dealing with the fire, the Moses Lake Fire Department was on call to respond to any other fire calls District 5 had.
There were about 10 to 12 other fire emergencies reported, Maier said. During the calls, some structures were initially threatened but none were damaged and there were no injuries. There were also no firework-related injuries reported, she added.
Grant County Emergency Management Information Officer Kyle Foreman said on a typical day in Grant County, fire agencies throughout the county respond to about 10 to 15 fire-related calls a day. On Sunday, there were 56 fire-related calls. The calls began in the late afternoon and spiked dramatically at night, leading officials to believe the majority of the calls were due to fireworks, he explained.
All the hot spots are extinguished in the fire near Moses Lake, Foreman said. Fire officials continued to assess damage Monday.
On Sunday night a firework-related fire resulted in a quarter-acre fire on Road U Southeast in Warden, said District 4 Chief Randy Wiggins. No structures were threatened and the fire was extinguished quickly, he added. It burned cheatgrass and sagebrush.
Grant County Fire District 3 assisted Douglas County Fire District 2 with a 3,600-acre fire that was approaching their district, said District 3 Chief Don Fortier. The fire was reported Sunday afternoon and eventually state mobilization was called for, he added. It was encroaching upon the Crescent Bar area.
There were several other firework-related fires reported, mostly on Sunday in the Quincy area, Fortier said. There were no injuries and no structure fires.
The Moses Lake Fire Department was stationed at the City of Moses Lake fireworks show launch site as the shrubbery caught fire during the show.
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