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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Wildfire forces evacuations near Quincy

Monument Fire near Quincy in Grant County has burned at least five structures, officials said. (Grant County Sheriff's Office)
UPDATE: 7:30 a.m. Evacuation orders have been lifted for the Monument Hill Fire northeast of Quincy. Residents are now free to return to their homes, a news release from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office said.

UPDATE: 5:30 a.m. The Monument Hill Fire northeast of Quincy is now 20 to 30 percent contained. It has grown to 2,100 acres. No new structures have been lost. There are no casualties.

Original story:

A fast-moving wildfire overnight forced rural residents near Quincy, Washington, to flee their homes as it consumed five outbuildings and abandoned structures. No homes have burned, officials report. “To reassure folks, the fire will not reach Ephrata,” about 12 miles to the northeast, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office said in a Tweet about 3:20 a.m. The Monument Hill Fire, burning in sagebrush and grass 3.5 miles northeast of Quincy, was reported at 10:51 p.m. Tuesday and had grown to about 2,000 acres as of 3 a.m., driven by 10-15 mph winds. It was only 2 percent contained. State Fire Mobilization has been approved to help provide firefighting resources. The blaze erupted just two days after a wildfire near Wenatchee destroyed 29 homes. A shelter for fire evacuees has been opened at Quincy Junior High, 417 C St. SE, the sheriff’s office said. The sheriff ordered mandatory evacuations around midnight for two dozen residents along Road 13 NW near Adams Road. Officials also urged residents to evacuate from Road K NW to Martin Road. The agricultural area has steep terrain and includes farm land and vineyards with several dozen homes scattered throughout. The cause of the fire is not yet known. The fire broke out just hours after Grant County Sheriff Tom Jones issued a message to help residents prepare for a wildfire emergency. “We’ve all seen the damage caused by the Sleepy Hollow Fire in Wenatchee, and I know we all are praying for everyone who has suffered through the loss of their home, business or workplace,” Jones said.