Fire roundup: Farmland fire slows traffic on West Plains
A fire burning just north of Interstate 90 west of Spokane clogged westbound traffic on I-90 at the Geiger exit Tuesday afternoon.
The fire started about 12:30 p.m. on land owned by Rowand Machinery Co. that was leased out for farming, said Donn Gehret, an accountant for the company. The winter wheat harvest had just been completed on Monday, said Paula Oswald, one of the farmers.
The fire started in a couple of locations and was pushed quickly by wind. Staff members from Rowand used two company bulldozers to start building fire lines.
KHQ reported the fire burned at least 8 1/2 acres.
Interstate reopened in Grant County
I-90 in Grant County reopened in both directions Tuesday morning after a 17-mile stretch was closed the day before when blowing dust and smoke from a brush fire made it unsafe for drivers.
A spokesman with the Grant County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday that the fire had burned up to 900 acres and did not grow rapidly overnight. Kyle Foreman said hundreds of firefighters were on the scene. No new evacuation notices had been issued. About 50 homes were briefly evacuated Monday.
A trailer full of hay burned on the road next to I-90. No injuries were reported.
The brush fire started Sunday night and reignited Monday afternoon, closing the interstate between Vantage and near the town of George.
Walla Walla County declares emergency
The Walla Walla County Board of Commissioners has declared a state of emergency and is seeking help from the governor in dealing with the Blue Creek wildfire.
Meanwhile, the federal government is providing money to help fight the wildfire, which has grown to nearly 4 square miles and has destroyed one home. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has authorized the use of federal dollars to help with firefighting costs.
That means federal dollars are available to pay 75 percent of Washington state’s eligible firefighting costs. This money does not provide assistance to individuals, homeowners or business owners.
The fire that started on Monday was zero percent contained as of Tuesday evening.