Fire burns behind Grant Co. Irrigation and Rehabilitation building

MOSES LAKE – On the morning of July 2, the City of Moses Lake Fire Department was dispatched due to multiple reports of a wildfire located in the area of Penn Street and behind the Grant County Irrigation and Rehabilitation District building, north of East Wheeler Road. The fire was reported at about 10:45 a.m.  

“We made a pretty quick stop of the fire,” said Battalion Chief JR Schwendeman, who was on the scene. “It’s going to continue to burn for probably the next 24 hours in certain areas, but we’re going to be in the area in the next 24 hours continuing to watch it and put out hot spots.” 

Due to the rapid response, the fire was contained at 11:32 a.m. and limited to roughly five acres of land with no structural involvement or loss, and no human injury, according to an MLFD press release. The cause of the fire is undetermined.  

Upon arrival, the decision was made to call for assistance from mutual aid partners due to the current fire weather watch and the desire to rapidly contain the fire to limit damage, said the MLFD release. The MLFD responded with four fire suppression apparatus and two chief officers and received mutual aid from Grant County Fire District 5 with nine vehicles. 

“It was in fast-moving fuels,” said Schwendeman. “We had a decent wind that was driving the fire and making it larger.”  

While the cause and exact starting location of the fire is undetermined, it is thought to have started near the old Silverbow Honey Company building at 1120 E Wheeler Rd, said Schwendeman. 

While the fire was being suppressed, the public was asked to proceed with caution through the surrounding area to allow firefighters to have direct access to the fire.  

The fire was reported to members of the Moses Lake Irrigation and Rehabilitation District by a customer who informed them to leave the building as the fire was approaching the property boundaries, said Sam Castro, Executive General Manager at the MLIRD. The MLIRD immediately called the authorities after being informed of the fire. 

“I was really impressed with the response that we received from the city’s fire department and Grant County (5) Fire Department,” said Castro. “Just a great job on their end for responding as quickly as they did with the amount of trucks that they did.” 

The quickness of the response from the fire departments was essential in preventing the fire from spreading, he said.  

The fire trucks appeared to have some initial difficulty in getting access to the area due to the location of the fire as well as difficulty from the high level of traffic on the road, said Castro. Being certified in flagging, he then began working on traffic control and assisting in directing the firefighters to the back gates of their building to suppress the fire. 

He said he was not being directed by the fire departments in his decision to begin flagging.  

"I just wanted to ensure that we could direct the fire trucks to the right location, and I think everybody was just doing their part, lending a hand where they could,” said Castro. 

MLIRD staff were very thankful for the service from the emergency responders on the scene. Along with the efforts from the fire departments, officers from the Moses Lake Police Department and a trooper from the Washington State Patrol were on scene to ensure the safety of the public. 

“I was really proud of our emergency responders and how they suppressed the fire and continued to add water to it after it was suppressed to ensure the public safety and to ensure that this didn’t flare up with the expected winds we were having this afternoon,” said Castro. “Amazing response from the city and county firefighting teams. We just want to recognize them and thank them sincerely.” 

Moses Lake Fire Department administrators would like to remind everyone that fire fuels are very dry at this time of year and are easily ignited. They ask that everyone stay careful with cooking and recreational fires during the summer season and ensure they are not just out, but cold when not attended. 

Editor's Note: This story has been updated and expanded throughout and is finalized. 

    The field behind the Moses Lake Irrigation and Rehabilitation District building smokes as fire fighters keep control of the fire and prevent its spread. The district’s executive general manager Sam Castro said he and the other members of the MLIRD were informed of the fire by a customer and quickly contacted 911 and evacuated the building.