FIRE REPORT: Red flag warning issued, fires burn around the Evergreen State

MOSES LAKE – The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning Monday afternoon in light of extremely high temperatures, potential for high winds and low relative humidity throughout the Pacific Northwest, but especially on the western side of the Cascades.

"Today's red flag warnings are in effect for extremely hot, dry, unstable weather west of the Cascade crest,” said Regional Fire Planner for the Pacific Northwest Region of the Forest Service Ian Rickert. “The challenging fire weather conditions coincide with areas that are experiencing abnormally dry to severe drought.”

The fires below are burning or were recently extinguished according to data from the U.S. Forest Service and the state of Washington:

• Margarita Incident. A 61-acre fire discovered on Aug. 2. The fire is 100% contained and the estimated cost to fight the blaze is about $2.5 million.
• Mounts Road Incident. A 150-acre fire that is currently reported as extinguished was discovered on Aug. 13. Cost to fight the blaze was not available.
• Mulqueen Incident. This fire just south of Joint Base Lewis McChord comes in at 15 acres and is considered extinguished. Cost is not immediately available. The fire was discovered Aug. 12.
• Trinity Incident. This fire west of Kennewick and north of the Yakima River had burned about 600 acres as of Tuesday afternoon. The cost to fight the fire is estimated at $150,000 at this time and the fire is considered 90% contained.
• Wawawai Incident. About 530 acres have burned in this fire which has cost just less than $360,000 to fight thus far and is 99% contained. The fire was discovered July 24 just southwest of Pullman near the Snake River.
• East Gibbs fire. This blaze is just more than 10 acres in size and is reported as fully contained or extinguished. It was discovered Aug. 14 and no cost was reported by authorities as yet. The human-caused incident is located just south of Spokane near Hangman Creek.
• The West Hallett fire just West of Spokane has reportedly cost about $1.7 million to fight and is 99% contained according to authorities. The fire has burned about 126 acres and the cause is not determined. It was discovered July 31.
• Roughly 35 acres have been burned in the West Anderson Fire southwest of Spokane near the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge. The blaze has cost about $380,000 to fight so far and is considered 80% contained. No cause has been identified.
• Around 475 acres have burned so far near the Idaho border due east of the Little Oreille National Wildlife Refuge. The 475-acre fire, dubbed the Consalus Incident, has cost about $10 million to fight so far and is only 83% contained. Authorities report that the cause of the fire is natural.
• The Eagle Bluff fire, southwest of Oroville near the Canadian border, has burned more than 16,000 acres. The fire has cost about $9.9 million to fight and is roughly 90% contained. No cause for the fire, one of the largest for Washington’s fire season thus far, is unknown.
• The Blue Lake fire burned about 25 acres. No cause is determined and no cost for the blaze was available. It was discovered July 29.
• The Dome Peak fire, located northeast of the Mt. Baker National Forest, has cost about $60,000 to fight so far and was uncontained as of Tuesday afternoon. The fire was reported July 29 and has burned about 30 acres.
• The Airplane Lake blaze has burned about 100 acres and cost roughly $50,000 to fight so far. It is reported as uncontained and no cause has been identified. It was discovered July 7.
• Several other fires are reported throughout the state but have burned less than 10 acres and are not included in this report. The majority are reported as out and many are less than 1 acre.

Given fire risks and activity across the state, authorities are asking the public for their aid in keeping this fire season from getting worse.

“Several measures of fire danger show we are approaching new record highs on the west slope of the cascades and in the coast range. Together, the weather and fuel conditions create a situation that lends itself to extreme fire behavior,” Rickerty said.

R. Hans Miller may be reached at editor@columbiabasinherald.com.

Be prepared during fire season:

What to do:

• Stay informed about the latest weather and fire conditions in your area.
• Be prepared and keep a fire extinguisher or water source nearby in case of emergency.
• Be cautious with anything that can cause a spark, such as cigarettes, matches, and fireworks.
• Look up fire restrictions in your area and follow them.
• Report any signs of fire immediately.
• Consider a less risky option for a campfire, such as a propane fire pit.
• Ensure trailer chains are properly secured and do not drag on the ground where they can spark and cause wildfires.

What NOT to do:

• Do not throw cigarettes or matches out of a moving vehicle.
• Do not use fireworks or other pyrotechnics.
• Do not leave outdoor fires unattended, even for a short period.
• Do not park vehicles in tall, dry grass.