Terrain complicates fighting Railroad Fire

MATTAWA — Rough terrain and red flag fire weather complicated efforts to fight the Railroad Fire north of Mattawa, with crews working on keeping the fire from spreading. 

“There are a lot of places they just can't get to because of the steep terrain,” said Ben Shearer, public information officer for the Southwest Interagency Incident Management Team. “A lot of riparian area in there, a lot of rockslides in there, and then down on the Crab Creek area side of the fire – it's just a lot of drainage, a lot of mossy, swampy areas that they just can't get into.” 

The fire started at about 11 p.m. July 23 near Beverly and had burned east past the Jericho townsite as of midday July 25. The fire was burning along the corridor between Lower Crab Creek and the crest of Saddle Mountain.  

“The southwest area of the fire south of Beverly Dunes is still hot and trying to make runs up the north side of Saddle Mountain,” Shearer said in a media release July 25.  

Evacuation notices were issued for Beverly and Schwana, and at least seven buildings had been destroyed. Fire crews were working to keep the loss of structures to a minimum. 

“Structure protection is still the big thing. We have crews down in that Beverly-Schwana area checking those (residences), making sure that 100 feet out from any structure is cold and black. Looking for hot embers around those. It's very easy for embers to sit there for a couple days and smolder,” he said. 

Donations of clothing for fire victims are being accepted at the Mattawa Community Medical Clinic from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Donations of supplies and bottled water are being accepted at the Volviendo a la Biblia Church, 20446 A St. Southwest in Beverly.