Rollover accident north of Soap Lake causes brush fire

SOAP LAKE — A rollover accident north of Soap Lake sparked a brush fire Wednesday afternoon and caused the closure of state Route 17.

Firefighters with Grant County Fire District No. 7 responded to the scene, about nine miles north of Soap Lake on SR-17, about 1:10 p.m. The unidentified driver of the vehicle was reportedly ejected as it rolled, with sparks igniting brush near the road and wind causing the fire to spread.

LifeFlight was initially placed on standby in case the victim needed to be airlifted to a hospital for treatment, but LifeFlight was canceled as first responders evaluated the victim’s injuries and determined LifeFlight was not needed. The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

There were also two dogs in the vehicle at the time of the accident, one of which reportedly died at the scene from injuries.

SR-17 was closed between Soap Lake and Moore Road as crews worked to contain the fire. The highway was opened to one lane with alternating traffic about 2:30 p.m. Grant County Fire District No. 13 and the Coulee City Fire Department provided mutual aid to GCFD No. 7. The fire was determined to be under control just after 3 p.m., with crews remaining at the scene for several more hours mopping up hot spots.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.