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

Criminal Charge Due In Tum Tum Fire Two More Homes Found Burned, Bringing Total To 5; Crews On Newkirk Road Fire May Go Home Tuesday

A 1,200-acre fire near Tum Tum was started by a person burning weeds behind a trailer home, a fire investigator said Sunday.

No criminal charges have been filed against the person, and Department of Natural Resources Inspector Bill Fisher declined to name the individual.

Investigators on Saturday said the blaze started on 1.5 acres owned by Dale Fox.

Once the DNR completes its investigation, criminal charges will be filed and a bill for the cost of fighting the blaze will be submitted to the suspect, Fisher said.

As of Sunday, $630,000 had been spent fighting the fire.

“I’m not going to comment on when the individual will be cited,” Fisher said.

When asked how many suspects were questioned, Fisher said “essentially one.”

On Saturday, two more homes and six to eight other buildings were found destroyed in the aftermath of the Tum Tum fire, said Steve Jennison, DNR fire information officer.

The discoveries bring the total number of homes destroyed to five, Jennison said.

Fire officials are hopeful that crews on the 770-acre Newkirk Road fire may get to go home on Tuesday. No date has been set for sending crews home near Tum Tum. The size of the Newkirk fire had been reported as 600 acres; the difference is due to a better assessment of its size, not because it grew. For the same reason, the size of the Tum Tum fire fell from 1,300 acres to 1,200.

On Sunday, 466 firefighters were near Tum Tum and 315 at the Newkirk site. Both fires started Thursday.

The Newkirk fire, which destroyed three outbuildings, was ignited while 26-year-old John Joseph was using a torch to cut a windshield off a boat parked on North Old Trails Road. A hot bolt popped off and fell in the grass, Joseph said. He publicly apologized for the fire on Saturday.

If found negligent, Joseph may also have to pay the costs of fighting the fire, which was estimated at $370,000 on Sunday. After the main crews are released from the Newkirk fire, nine privately owned engines will remain on patrol for a few days to ensure the fire is truly dead, said Dale Warriner, DNR spokesman.

The two additional homes and other buildings - ranging from large sheds to a three-hole outhouse - destroyed in the Tum Tum fire were discovered on Saturday, Jennison said.

The fire burned so intensely in some areas that crews didn’t find the buildings until they stood on the ruins, Jennison said.

Tum Tum firefighters made “excellent” progress on the perimeter of the fire by Sunday and “some” progress on the interior, Jennison said.

The guts of the fire is in extremely steep, rocky terrain and all the mop-up work is being done on foot. Helicopters and other firefighting aircraft have gone home. Considered critical firefighting resources, they need to be free in case another blaze starts up elsewhere in the state, Jennison said.

However, Tum Tum crews still have some sophisticated equipment at their disposal. In the evenings, they use infrared scopes that reveal hot spots under the blackened surface of the ground, Jennison said.

Bees continue to be a problem at both fires. Two Tum Tum firefighters were evacuated on Saturday after having severe allergic reactions to bee stings. Both were back in camp on Sunday. Another firefighter was evacuated late Sunday with heat exhaustion, Jennison said.

The Long Lake Campground near the Tum Tum fire is closed. It is the staging area for the 466 firefighters working on the fire. Fire engines and water tenders are using the campground’s boat ramp to refill, Jennison said.

, DataTimes