Small fire extinguished after prompting evacuation notice for climbing area in Grant County

The Grant County Sheriff’s Office briefly issued a Level 3 evacuation notice for people in and around the Frenchman Coulee climbing area as firefighters responded to a nearby wildfire Tuesday evening.

A Level 3 evacuation notice means anyone in the area should leave immediately. The evacuation notice was called off around 7:30 p.m. because the fire was extinguished.  

The wildfire was about 2 acres, and was burning just below the Feathers rock formation, Grant County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman said. Firefighters with Grant County Fire District 3 responded to the wildfire.

Foreman said Tuesday evening there is only one residence in the area, and it was not under threat or affected.

Sheriff deputies cleared most of the cars in the parking lot of the nearby campgrounds and planned to redirect traffic along Vantage Street Southwest. Foreman said evacuations like these are common when a wildfire breaks out in the area, since Vantage Street is the only exit route.