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FIRE REPORT: Two fires contained Wednesday

by NANCE BESTON
Staff Writer | September 12, 2024 1:10 AM

MOSES LAKE – The various fires listed below are active Washington. The largest fire reported is the Retreat Fire at 45,601 acres and the smallest is the Blewett Fire at 15 acres.

According to the National Interagency Fire Center, there are around 55,542 acres actively burning in the state as of Wednesday.

In 2024 there were around 39,400 fires and around 6.9 million acres burned in the United States, according to the NIFC.

Largest Washington fires: 

Retreat Fire – Washington’s largest fire. 45,601 acres. 85% containment. started at 4 p.m. July 14. Located about 14 miles southeast of Naches. 228 personnel. 

Pioneer Fire – WA’s second-largest wildfire. 38,735 acres. 23% containment. Began around 1 p.m. June 8. Located 10 miles southeast of Stehekin. 401 personnel. 

Cougar Creek Fire – WA’s third-largest fire. 24,091 acres. 80% contained. Blazed up at 8 p.m. July 15. Located south of Walla Walla. 226 personnel. 

Two new fires contained: 

Brown Fire – 400 acres. 100% containment. Started at 2:39 p.m. Tuesday. Near Brown Gulch Road in Garfield County.  

Wynnie Fire – 12.3 acres. 100% containment. Started at 9:31 a.m. Monday, 14 miles northwest of Wenatchee.

Other fires: 

Beaver Canyon Fire – 80 acres. Started at 11:52 a.m. Monday, 22 miles east of Oroville. Cost is unknown.  

Blewett Fire – 15 acres. 99% containment. Started 2:23 p.m. Sept. 4. near Blewett Pass. Costs estimated at $800,000. 

Easy Fire – 2,130 acres. 39% containment. Began 8 p.m. July 17. Located 17 miles west of Mazama along North Cascades Scenic Highway.  Costs estimated at $15 million.  

Huckleberry Ridge Fire – 293 acres. 8% containment. Started on Sept. 4. Located about 25 miles northwest of Longview. Cost of damage unknown.  

Miners Complex Fires – 1,098 acres. 0% containment. Began on July 17. Located 21 miles east of Darrington. Costs estimated at $500,000.

Pincer Two Fire – 211 acres. 0% containment. Began on July 18. Located 1 mile east of Mineral Park. Costs estimated at $500,000.

Rennie Creek Fire – 99.8 acres. 0% containment. Began on Aug. 17. Located in Chelan County. Unknown the cost.

Ruby Fire – 1,300 acres. 0% containment. Began 7 a.m. Friday. Located in Whatcom County. Costs estimated at $5 million.   

Shoofly Fire – 104 acres. 91% contained. Ignited on July 8. Located 9 miles north of Stevens Pass. Costs estimated at $10 million.

Swauk Creek Fire – 320 acres. 3% containment. Started on Sunday at 3:34 p.m., 17 miles northwest of Ellensburg. No information on cost.

Williams Mine Fire – 13,049 acres. 31% contained. Started noon Aug. 5. Located near Mount Adams Wilderness in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Unknown cost. 

Other fires reported throughout the state have burned less than 10 acres and are not included in this report. The majority are less than 1 acre.

The Columbia Basin’s wildfire danger continues to be very high. The Grant County Sheriff’s office has asked area residents to be careful with anything that could cause a wildfire.

Air quality was good Wednesday for the Columbia Basin.  

SOURCES: InciWeb/NIFC/WildCAD/AirNow