In brief: Fire near Okanogan keeps growing
The Oden Road fire covered another 2,000 acres Sunday near Okanogan, scorching a total of 8,000.
Most of the people who were part of the mandatory evacuation Saturday night had been allowed back home, but on Sunday a new group of people were put on notice to be ready to leave immediately.
“The fire did do a lot of burning today and now some of it is in timber,” said Daniel Walters, a dispatcher for the Department of Natural Resources’ Oden Road Fire Center. “It’s burning in some very steep areas and it’s more difficult to put out in timber than it is when it’s burning grass and sagebrush.”
Walters said a community meeting will be called today to inform residents about the fire’s progress.
“I’d say it’s about 70 to 80 percent contained, but within the next 24 to 36 hours we’ll know if we need more crews out here,” Walters said.
A main transmission line that came down Saturday has been restored, but Highway 20 remains closed.
Blaze claims home, beloved rural cafe
MOXEE, Wash. – A wildfire raging across Central Washington has claimed 40,000 acres, a manufactured home and a rural icon as of Saturday evening.
The Silver Dollar Cafe, which sits at the intersection of State Route 24 and Highway 241 east of Moxee, burned to the ground at 6 p.m. Friday, said Elizabeth Smith, public information officer with Benton County Emergency Services. No one was inside at the time.
The cafe is owned by Rick and Martha Lounsbury, of Terrace Heights, who bought it about a year ago. They could not be reached for comment Saturday.
More than 250 firefighters are battling a series of range fires that have consumed sagebrush and grass on federal and private lands near Sunnyside north to the Columbia River at state Route 241.
Dozens of fires were caused by lightning strikes Thursday and Friday in Yakima, Benton, Klickitat, Kittitas and Grant counties, although most were quickly extinguished.
Smith said the Dry Creek Complex about 40 miles east of Yakima, the biggest fire burning, is not contained. Two helicopters, bulldozers and engines were at the scene Saturday. There were no injuries or mandatory evacuations as of Saturday evening. A giant plume of smoke from the fire was visible from Union Gap and the Lower Valley.
Because of the blaze, state Route 24 is closed at milepost 14, and state Route 241 is closed indefinitely due to a wooden bridge being damaged by fire.
State Route 240 was closed from Benton City to the Vernita Bridge at state Route 225, but reopened at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Jennifer Woodkey, of Yakima, a longtime friend of the Lounsbury family, said she was devastated by the cafe’s destruction and hopes the community will help the couple rebuild.
The cafe was owned for more than 15 years by Dick Prigmore, who died a year ago Friday – the same day the cafe was destroyed.
Kootenai County awaits repair funds
Kootenai County officials say they are waiting for the federal government to approve stimulus funding for roof repair projects but it could come too late in the construction season.
Colleen Allison, the county’s grant administrator, says at some point the county may have to try to get an extension until next year.
The county was notified earlier this year it would receive a $374,000 energy grant to spend on conservation projects.
County commissioners decided to replace roofs with more energy-efficient material on the Old Courthouse, County Administration Building, Justice Building, and Elections Building.
The county also wants to use the grant money to replace eight Sheriff’s Department vehicles with others that get better gas mileage.