Fire prompts evacuation on north end of Moses Lake
The area pictured above is the approximate location of the fire that caused a Level 3 evacuation alert Saturday afternoon. Readers are encouraged to exercise caution and avoid the area.
SOURCES: GOOGLE MAPS/GCSO
Area resident Micahel McPherson took this photo of a Grant County Fire District 5 vehicle on the scene of a fire at the north end of Moses Lake on Saturday. The fire started due to someone burning in windy conditions, authorities said.
MOSES LAKE — The Grant County Sheriff’s Office put out a notice of a Level 3 evacuation — evacuate immediately — Saturday afternoon for a wildfire in the intersection of Road 6.6 NE and Road E.5 NE in the area near the shore of Moses Lake.
The fire was caused by an unidentified individual burning after a countywide burn ban went into effect Saturday morning, officials said. The person responsible for the fire was issued a citation for Second Degree Reckless Burning, a gross misdemeanor.
Grant County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman said issuing citations is done on a case-by-case basis and usually first responders try to use education rather than citations.
“In this case, the person was burning under some very windy conditions and his fire got away from him, so that’s why he’s getting a reckless burning citation,” Foreman said.
First responders reacted to the fire at around 4 p.m. and the fire was in mop-up at about 7:30 p.m., according to GCSO.
According to GCSO staff, a Level 3 evacuation means that people in the area should leave immediately.
Level 2 evacuations mean that someone should be ready to evacuate or may leave immediately.
Level 1 indicates that a fire or threat is nearby and those in the area should be prepared to leave.
Nobody was injured in the fire and no structures were damaged or lost, Foreman said. GCSO, Grant County Fire District 5 and the Moses Lake Fire Department responded to the blaze.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated throughout and finalized after the fire went into mop-up.
Area resident Micahel McPherson took this photo of a Grant County Fire District 5 vehicle on the scene of a fire at the north end of Moses Lake on Saturday. The fire started due to someone burning in windy conditions, authorities said.