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Your Hometown News Source
The smoke cloud from the Lower Granite Fire (Dan Fire) was visible from around the county, pictured here from Calaway Hill. The conditions escalated to support a call for an evacuation level three in certain north Garfield County areas and level two in others.
Lower Granite Fire Strike team with NE WA IMT3 Team 1 scout of hotspots from the Lower Granite Fire near Pomeroy earlier the week. State fire resources were deployed on Tuesday.
POMEROY–A fire that began on the South Deadman has burned multiple structures, including two residences. A rough estimate has placed the acreage burned between 2,000 and 14,500, according to the Incident Management Team's public information. An infra-red flight is currently underway that will narrow down the estimated burn area. Addresses and names of the homeowners who were affected by the fire have not yet been released.
First reported around 12:30 on Monday, July 29, on South Deadman Road, the fire was initially attacked by Garfield County Fire District No. 1 and the Garfield County Sheriff's Deputies. A brush truck from Columbia County also came to the scene. At approximately 8 a.m. on July 30, the fire was taken over by an Incident Management Team consisting of Washington State Troopers, Department of Natural Resource, and strike teams both local and from the Puget Sound area.
Garfield County Fire District 1 and surrounding personnel patrolled the fire overnight, located hotspots on existing lines and conducting structure protection.
Additional strike teams and wildland firefighting crews, made available through State Mobilization declaration, arrived Tuesday to engage the fire and relieve crews from Garfield Fire District 1.
Aerial support in the form of super scoopers and retardant drops were employed Monday, as well as a helicopter on Tuesday. Residences north of the South Deadman Road and east of Bratcher Grade were placed on Level Three evacuation-leaving the area-and Level Two evacuation-ready to leave-was in place from Kirby Mayview Road east to the county line and north of Highway 12.
It is burning in grass and brush and is threatening primary structures, crops, rangeland, and infrastructure.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but is anticipated to be of human cause due to lack of lightning at the time it began. The extent of the damage is also still being totaled, with crews out on structure assessments, as well as controlling and eliminating hot spots around structures.
Current evacuations are updated on the Garfield Sheriff's Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/GarfieldCountySheriff
Livestock and animal evacuations can be made to the Garfield County Fairgrounds; 99 Fairgrounds Road, Pomeroy (Note, the fairgrounds does not have supplies to feed livestock or animals)
