Wenatchee-area Goat fire blamed on target shooters

Target shooters aiming at exploding targets last fall ignited the Goat fire that burned 7,400 acres from Sept. 15 through early November and made life miserable for residents in the Wenatchee region, according to a U.S. Forest Service report released Tuesday.

No arrests have been made, but the investigation continues.

The fire burned mostly on National Forest land, but also scorched Bureau of Land management and private lands.

There are cellphone towers, television broadcasting equipment, emergency service towers and buried high voltage power lines on Goat Mountain.

Starting wildfires is a crime, and those responsible may be forced to pay restitution.

Rich Landers

Selecky retiring as health secretary

Mary Selecky plans to retire as Washington state’s health secretary.

After 15 years of leading the state’s public health efforts such as vaccinating more children and curbing cigarette smoking, Selecky is ready to return home to Colville.

She will stay until Gov. Jay Inslee finds a successor.

Selecky has been a public health advocate and fixture for nearly four decades.

Before former Gov. Gary Locke appointed her to his cabinet as health secretary, she was administrator for the Northeast Tri County Health District for about 20 years.

In a statement, Selecky said she is most proud of the state’s progress in lowering smoking rates – by 30 percent among adults and by about 50 percent among youth – and boosting vaccination rates to the highest levels in years.

Staff report