Monument Hill Fire 100 percent contained

QUINCY — After several days of combating the blaze, fire crews fully contained the Monument Hill Fire over the weekend. Fire officials believe the blaze was "likely" caused by human activity.

The large wildfire broke out Wednesday night on Monument Hill, northeast of Quincy. The fire was driven by strong winds and Grant County Fire District No. 3 requested and was granted state resources to assist with firefighting efforts. Level 3 evacuation notices were sent out by the Grant County Sheriff’s Office for several homes in the direct path of the fire when it initially broke out, but the notices were dropped to a Level 1 Thursday morning.

Crews from Grant, Chelan and Douglas counties, the Bureau of Land Management and the state Department of Natural Resources responded to the area to provide mutual aid. A Type 3 Incident Management Team was set up at the Quincy High School to help manage fire resources. Brush engines, water tenders, dozers, helicopters and airplanes were used by crews to stomp out the fire, according to Monument Hill Fire Public Information Officer Megan Hill.

Initial information indicates three homes, multiple outbuildings, vehicles, farm equipment, a GCFD No. 3 fire truck and power poles were destroyed by the fire. The burned power poles resulted in the loss of power for several homes in the area, with Grant County PUD crews working around the clock to restore power to the affected areas.

The only injury was an allergic reaction to a bee sting, which was reported by a firefighter who was working the fire on Friday. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but Hill said it was “likely” caused by human activity. Up-to-date mapping puts the size of the fire at 6,255 acres. State resources began to demobilize on Saturday and left the area when the fire was determined to be fully contained.

“I want to remind everyone that emergencies and disasters such as the Monument Hill Fire should be expected to happen. Although public safety agencies will do their best to try and stop them or reduce their impacts, I remind citizens to please do their part to prepare their families,” Sheriff Tom Jones encouraged. “Have a family or business emergency plan. Prepare emergency kits to sustain your family for at least three days; stocking up for a week may be a better target. Follow local media and the Sheriff's Office for official information. Take the steps to make sure you and your family are OK when bad things happen. This will make it easier on you and lessen the demands on emergency responders who are stretched thin during a major incident.”

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