Agencies acknowledge communication failures during Mattawa wildfire
A large wildfire closed state Route 24 Sunday night. However, traditional public alerts were not issued from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office or the Washington State Patrol. Both cited communications issues within their respective agencies.
COURTESY PHOTO/ALERTWest/OHAZ/UNIVERSITY OF OREGON
MATTAWA — A fast‑moving wildfire that burned nearly 3,100 acres near state Route 24 on Sunday night prompted a four‑hour highway closure – but no public alerts from either the Washington State Patrol or the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, despite both agencies’ long‑standing practices of issuing emergency notifications.
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