June 18—MOSES LAKE — Evacuation notices for the Yakima Valley town of Zillah were downgraded to Level 1 Monday as crews battle the Beam Road Fire, which broke out Saturday afternoon. The fire was 42% contained at 8,542 acres, and the cost was estimated at $1.5 million, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. State firefighters were deployed on Saturday to battle the blaze, which spread quickly due to high winds and dry grass, threatening homes, crops, power lines and livestock.
The Pioneer Fire on the shore of Lake Chelan, about 30 miles northwest of Wenatchee, continues to grow, reaching more than 3,800 acres on Monday. Eight aircraft and 353 personnel were dedicated to fighting the fire in an uninhabited area with steep terrain that has hampered suppression efforts. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources, the fire was caused by humans, but the specific cause is still under investigation.
According to the NIFC, these other fires were also burning in Washington on Monday:
– The fire on Camas Road in Wapato, about 11 miles southeast of Yakima, burned on 32 acres on Monday. Information about the inclusion and costs was not yet available.
– The Neff Road fire, discovered Saturday about 20 miles northeast of Pasco, was burning at 250 acres Monday. Cost and inclusion information was not available.
– The Nisqually John Fire, discovered Friday morning about 10 miles northwest of Lewiston, Idaho, was fully contained Monday at 3,207 acres. The cause was unknown and the cost is estimated at $211,297.
– The Rest Haven Fire, on the eastern edge of Yakima, had burned 45 acres since it was discovered on May 30. The fire was man-made and containment and cost information was not available Monday.
—The Stetson Fire, about 9 miles north of Yakima, was discovered May 19 and remained at 25 acres as of Monday. The cause of the fire was human action. Information about the inclusion and costs was not available.
There have been several other fires reported across the state, but they burned less than 10 acres and are not included in this report. The majority are smaller than 1 hectare.
Joel Martin can be reached by email at jmartin@columbiabasinherald.com.
