State Incident Management PIO credits local crews for work on East Saddle Mountain blaze
Bob Barrett/For the Sun Tribune - Response vehicles were staged at the East Saddle Fire incident command post set up at Othello High School.
GRANT COUNTY — Public Information Officer Ben Shearer with Washington State Incident Management gave high praise for local fire district personnel who were the first responders to the East Saddle Mountain blaze that broke out Saturday afternoon near Othello and consumed 17,470 acres.
“Those people did an amazing job — I’m very impressed,” Shearer said. “Some of them got here 12-24 hours before our incident management team and kept the fire from spreading more than it did.”
The fire started about 3:30 p.m. roughly eight miles southwest of Othello burning mostly brush and grass. But it quickly grew to the point Grant County Fire District No. 8 Chief David Patterson requested the mobilization of state firefighting resources, which was authorized by Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste about 8:45 p.m. Saturday night.
The fire threated between 25 to 30 homes and hundreds of acres of crops in the area. On Sunday morning, fire management was turned over to state mobilization crews.
“Incident response teams from around the state moved in around 8:30 and set up resources at Othello High School to help local fire districts mitigate the situation and mop up the hot spots,” Shearer said. “The rain Sunday was a huge help in containing further spread of the fire. Two structures were lost, however, one out building and a mobile home.”
As of Tuesday morning containment was 80 percent and the fire 100 percent lined.
“Teams remained on scene through Monday evening working to mitigate any remaining hot spots around homes and watching for any problems that the overnight winds could bring,” Shearer said. “All fire lines held overnight even with the 30 MPH wind guest. Crews are back on the line today (Tuesday) to double check any of the known hotspots, as well as verifying that all homes are secured. The goal is to have a 100’ wide line of mop-up around the fire before returning the scene back over to local fire districts.”
At the height of the incident there were over 165 personnel working to mitigate the blaze.
The evacuation of the area, Shearer said, has now dropped to Level 1, which means residents should be aware of the danger that exists and suggests people monitor websites and local media outlets for more information.
“This is the time for preparation and precautionary movement of persons with special need, mobile property and (under certain circumstances) pets and livestock. Should conditions worsen, emergency personnel may contact you with specific instructions,” Shearer said. “While the evacuation notice level has dropped to a level 1, this does not mean it is safe for people to explore the area. Fire crews are still engaged in mop-up efforts in the area. There are some burned power poles that the utilities are
working on. Unless you have a need to be near the fire, please remain out of the area. Fire fighters may be working from or near the roads, which could create some safety concerns for them and the public.”
The cause of the fire is under investigation. No injuries have been reported.
“The Southeastern Washington All Hazards IMT3 wish to take the opportunity to thank all the initial responding crews and fire districts that did a fantastic job of fighting the fire and saving as many structures as they did, as well as protecting the natural resources when possible,” Shearer said. “The transfer from the local crews to the Incident Management Team was successful because of the team work by all the local agencies, including the co-operation of the County Sheriffs and Emergency Management offices. We were honored to work with the professional and hardworking people that live in and protect the local communities.”