Published Tuesday, August 2, 2022, 1845 hours PT
Updated 2015 hours PT
INCIDENT SUMMARY
A wildfire named the VANTAGE HIGHWAY FIRE, is located about five miles west of Vantage (Kittitas County), Washington, around milepost 18 along the Vantage Highway, which was ignited by an unknown cause on August 1, 2022, around 1158 hours PT.
The fire would quickly spread due to very hot temps, gusty winds, and dry fire fuels.
==== COMMAND ====
The management of this fire is under the SE WA INT, an all-hazard Type 3 IMT comprised of personnel from local, state, and federal fire agencies.
WA DNR wildCAD is showing current resources as BATT-52 DIV-802 FUELS-34 FUELS-52. Their Incident Commander is listed as Bruce Jackson, as of August 1, at 2000 hours PT.
The ICP is located at the Kittitas Secondary School.
==== INCIDENT COOPERATORS ====
KITTITAS COUNTY SHERIFF — The power is back on for nearby communities.
KITTITAS COUNTY FIRE DISTRICT 1 — They deployed Support 111, Brush 112, and Tender 121 to the incident on Monday.
KITTITAS VALLEY FIRE & RESCUE.
USFS AVIATION.
BLM OREGON & WASHINGTON.
NWICC.
MOSES LAKE FIRE DEPARTMENT — Tender 1 with one FF PM Rick Kelly as the driver tied in with the Grant County strike team on Monday, August 1st.
LEWIS COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT #5 — Brush 51, made good progress overnight. Assigned to Division Zulu.
==== CURRENT STATUS ===
The wildfire has destroyed 10,500 acres of grass and brush.
RED FLAG WARNING conditions are currently occurring.
Fire behavior has been observed as active fire behavior with wind-driven runs, flanking and making uphill runs.
Homes and energy infrastructure are threatened.
The fire has not jumped the Columbia River as some have speculated.
==== DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS ====
Cost-to-date for fire suppression and containment efforts expenses have reached $150,000.
==== SCANNER FEED ====
To listen in on fire operations via local scanner feed, visit this link at https://www.broadcastify.com/webPlayer/2317, the Kittitas County Public Safety feed.
==== FIRE FACTS ===
- There have been about 3,500 lightning strikes mostly in Central Oregon and NE Washington.
=== SOCIAL MEDIA ====
The hashtags being used for this incident are #VantageHighwayFire #waWILDFIRE
Update 2015 PT == Per the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office === All evacuation notices/orders have been lifted for the town of Vantage and power has been restored. The Vantage Highway roadway will be closed except for local fire traffic at Parke Creek and Recreation until further notice.
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