900 acres burn near Rocky Ford Creek

EPHRATA – A Wednesday afternoon fire near State Route 17 at Rocky Ford Creek was reportedly caused by a vehicle fire involving a farm tractor, said Grant County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman.

Nobody was injured by the blaze which saw more than 900 acres charred before it was put out. Crews worked through the evening Wednesday and into the day Thursday to get the fire under control and mop up hot spots and ensure the fire didn’t reignite.

The Multi-agency Call Center dispatched responders to the fire. A variety of agencies and at least one local business assisted with knocking the fire down. They include GCSO, Grant County Fire District 13, Grant County Fire District 5, Grant County Fire District 3, the Grant Public Utilities District, the Soap Lake Police Department, Grant County Fire Marshal’s Office, Washington State Patrol officers, the Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

SR 17 was shut down for some time near the fire due to smoke eliminating visibility in the dip where the roadway crosses Rocky Ford Creek.

Editor's note: Special thanks to Rich Comeaux of SatelliteStreet.com for submitting photos of the firefighting efforts.