Livestock rescue during wildfires now legal

Washington cattlemen will now be able to legally rescue their livestock from wildfires.

Gov. Jay Inslee has signed House Bill 2925, which requires fire crews to allow ranchers into wildfire areas to retrieve cattle and livestock as long as it does not interfere with firefighting operations.

Under the new law, fire commanders are relieved of liability for cattlemen who go into a wildfire area to rescue animals.

Rep. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, sponsored the legislation to avoid having livestock owners sneaking around roadblocks or getting into confrontations with firefighters.

“As animal husbandry people, we are responsible for those animals,” Dent, a rancher, said in an earlier interview. “They’re not the smartest things on Earth, and we have to take care of them.”

There were reports of cattle lost during last summer’s fires, including the Cougar Creek fire near Mount Adams. At least one rancher from the Goldendale area said he bypassed roadblocks to save his livestock from the advancing flames.

The Ellensburg-based Washington Cattlemen’s Association supported the bill, citing the cost of losing cattle to wildfires. While a typical steer calf goes for $900 to $1,070, ranchers say that value does not include qualities developed through generations of breeding.

The measure had strong support in the Legislature, passing the House on a 97-1 vote and 47-0 in the Senate.