Moses Lake business loses 3 RVs in late-night fire

MOSES LAKE — A Moses Lake recreational vehicle business lost three RVs in a late night fire Thursday night. It was the second fire that day in the same location. Michelle Perdue, vice president of I-90 RV, said the company did not have an estimate of damage as of Friday afternoon. All three RVs lost were used vehicles, she said. The fire at I-90 RV was reported about 11:16 p.m., said Derek Beach, fire marshal for the city of Moses Lake. The first fire was reported about 1:35 p.m., in a grass field just off the shoulder of SR 17. “It’s under investigation,” Beach said of the cause of the late-night fire. Fire investigators are still looking at the cause of the afternoon fire as well, he said. The afternoon fire apparently started at SR 17, burning across a field of dry cheatgrass and damaging a building, Beach said. Firefighters were battling wind as well as the dry conditions. “We probably dumped close to 30,000 to 40,000 gallons of water on it.” Firefighters were on the scene about two hours. The fire moved fast, Perdue said. She first spotted it when it was close to the road, went inside to call 911, she said, and by the time the call was complete the fire had almost reached the building. Perdue credited Alan Mathier, owner of Moses Lake Towing, with help at a critical moment in the firefight. “He came over with a big tractor and pretty much saved our building,” she said. Mathier plowed a fire line around the building, which helped keep the fire from spreading. Mathier said small business owners need to help each other. “Just a neighbor thing,” he said. The late-night fire originally was reported as a structure fire, but turned out to be the three RVs, Beach said. The Moses Lake Fire Department was assisted by Grant County Fire District No. 5 when responding to both fires. August arrived with an extended dry and hot spell, and while temperatures have cooled it’s still dry. “We’re in a tinderbox,” Beach said. There are, of course, rules for extremely dry conditions, starting with a countywide ban on open fires. Smokers should dispose of cigarettes with caution. But it’s not just the obvious possibilities for starting a fire. In very dry conditions an overheated exhaust system on a car or a spark from a lawn mower blade hitting a rock can start a fire. “People just need to be aware,” Beach said.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at education@columbiabasinherald.com.