The State of Washington saw some wildfires on Monday, March 29, 2021. Here is a short recap of today’s fire activitity.
Photo Credit | NWFB Stock Photo
CHAMBERLIN FIRE
A wildfire was reported in Pleasant Valley in Stevens County this afternoon when resources were dispatched via the DNR Incident Comm Center at 1510 hours PT. Unknown acres were reported. AR 28 arrived as the IC. It is currently in the patrol status. Unknown cause of ignition. ##
UPPER MAIN FIRE
A wildfire ignited on the Main Road in Okanogan County, dubbing the fire name UPPER MAIN FIRE. Dispatched at 13:12 hours PT. 0.1 acres of grass and brush were lost. HI 40 was the IC. Resources arrived on-scene quickly and contained the fire at 1415 hours and got it under control at 1430 hours PT. No word on the cause. ##
Snow was reported falling in the area around noon hours West Coast time on Satruday.
FORT LUPTON
Photo Credit: FLFPD
The Fort Lupton Fire Protection District is reporting heavy storm that hit their area and are asking residents to stay home. Their message is simple and clear, ‘Please stay home and safe so we can too, until we’re needed. And then we’ll be there. Stay safe!”
Hwy 85 both north and south of the City, has fast deteriorating driving conditions. Roadways are covered in heavy snow, making visibility a safety issue. Drivers who don’t need to go out, should stay home and away from dangerous conditions that will warrant Police and Fire to respond. This puts them in harm’s way to rescue you but we all know they will go out 24/7 365 days a year when needed.
Photo Credit: FLFPD
GOLDEN
Clearing Snow From Vents
Firefighters from the Golden Fire Department like to remind residents to “keep an eye on your vents”.
Photo Credit: GFD
Fire Safety
And, your smoke alarms. Since Daylight Savings Time is here, what a perfect time to check your alarms and change the batteries in them and your clocks.
Local Fire Hydrants
And, clear snow around nearby hydrants so Firefighters can hook up quickly and put out the fire near your home or someone else’s.
NWS Pueblo wants to remind those who are thinking of shoveling all of this snow, to consider to take it slow.
Photo Credit: NWS Pueblo
STATE EOC
The Colorado State EOC has been activated along with the National Guard.
The CO NG was activated on Friday, March 12th at 1200 MST and will remain until Monday at 1200 MST. They will respond to SAR request through the Emergency Operations.
SOCIAL MEDIA
“Predicted historic snowstorm to stop up to 6 feet of snow!”
“I can’t believe we gonna be getting up to 20-inches of snow! in the next 2-3 days.”
“Multiple snowstorms to hit the State along with Wyoming.” say weather forecasters.
Stay tuned for more updates as the weather starts to impact the State over the weekend significantly.
Firefighters were dispatched to the 5600 block of 145th Street Southwest to a chimney reported extending inside the home just after 1730 hours PT.
Units A15, B21, E15, E23, E25, M15, MSO21, TR21, B15, L14 were dispatched from Snohomish County Fire Districts.
Dispatch relayed heavy black smoke was seen from the home but due to quick egress efforts, firefighters successfully stopped the fire within ten minutes from the original dispatched time. The timer was stopped after the fire was out.
A Fire Investigator was en route to the fire ground.
Cause of the fire and dollar amount for property loss was known at the time of this post.
A large fire ignited in the Washington Potato Company’s processing plant’s dehyrdator around 1730 hours PT on Thursday, January 21, 2021, that prompted originally Level 1 evacuations. Due to a possible ammonia tank explosion, Command urgently requested it be elevated to a Level 3.
The plant is located in the 1900 block of West 1st Street in Warden, Washington State.
Local, State and County and fire officials began going door-to-door and evacuating residents within a 1.5 mile radius around the commercial fire.
Fire Command reported several explosions inside the fire building, which was one of several on the commercial campus. Concerns of another tank, which held propane was also being taken as a precautionary measure.
Fire units from surrounding areas, such as, Royal City, Grant County Fire District #13, Ephrata, Moses Lake and a large response from others. As the fire behavior began to become more dangerous for members, Command advised all units to pull back from the fire and let it burn. Some retreated to staging, a mile safely away from the chaotic fire ground.
Residents were allowed to return to their homes after the imminent danger passed over. This occurred at 0048 hours PT, when Fire Command deemed it safe.
At the height of the Level 3 evacuation orders (LEAVE NOW), 1st Street Command observed that most of the ammonia that had leaked out had mostly vented all of the product out of it. Large amounts of water were poured over the fire building in what’s call “Surround and Drown” tactics, where they basically position all of their ladders or water towers over what’s burning until it goes out.
About 3,000 City of Warden residents, which is mostly their area’s population was evacuated but have been allowed to return to their homes, just after midnight on Friday morning.
Credit: Moses Lake Firefighters
This plant is no stranger to having a history of several State fines for discrimination or other safety violations.
JUNE 2020. At the Pasco plant, the Warden’s parent company was fined $92,400 by the Washington State L&I agency for the same violation over the last three years after a worker suffered a fractured wrist and partially amputated finger when his hand got caught in a conveyor while he was cleaning it. It is required for businesses to have a lockout/tagout system to prevent the machinery from starting or moving during service and maintenance. The penalty for repeat-serious lockout/tagout violations is $52,800. (news media)
JUNE 15, 2020. An employment firm reported to local news outlets, that layoffs at the Lamb West potato productions plants
JUNE 2016. The company was fined for repeated serious safety violations that resulted in a serious workplace injury. The fine was $213,160.This was the same violation as in 2020 and in 2014. The company was cited for five repeat-serious and three repeat-general violations, plus 15 additional serious violations. They have been flagged as a severe violator and is subject to future follow-up inspections to verify they are in compliance. (Source: Potato industry news article)
JULY 2009. The Company was cited by the EPA, when they failed to report approximately 300 pounds of anhydrous ammonia into the environment, according to a source that reports on EPA news. This facility was listed in the same location as this fire, which states they produce dried and dehydrated frozen potato products. The leak is said to have occurred when a circuit breaker failed, causing a pressure relief valve to open and releasing the anhydrous ammonia. The EPA says that Oregon Potato failed to immediately notify local and state agencies about the release. No injuries reported at the time of the incident but ammonia is said to be a pungent, toxic gas that attacks the eyes, skin, throat, and lungs that can cause serious injury and even death.
(Source: Environmental Resource Center – ercweb.com)
A large fire is burning the Washington Potato Company facility, located in the 1900 block of West 1st Street in Grant County, Washington. It ignited from an unknown cause on Thursday, January 21, 2021.
The Sheriff’s Office says the fire started inside the processing plant’s dehydrator around 1730 hours PT.
LEVEL 3 EVACUATION NOTICE issued to all areas west of Road U-SE and south of SR170, Warden in an 1.5 mile evacuation distance. Issued 1/21/2021 2030 hours PT due to “risk of 5500-lb ammonia tank explosion”.
Credit: Moses Lake Firefighters
Officers/Troopers/Deputies from the Warden PD/WSP/Grant County Sheriffs Office are manning road blocks and only emergency vehicles will be allowed in.
Credit: WSP Trooper John Bryant
Emergency Operations Center has been activated. They are working with the Red Cross to set-up a shelter.
Firefighters have pulled back and are in a safety zone, while others are staging about one-mile in the Incident Command Post located off of 17 and SR170.
Credit: GCFD13
Resources include Grant County Fire Districts 5 and 13, Electric City, Royal City, Ephrata, Moses Lake and other mutual aid assets.
The Grant County Sheriff’s Office has launched a drone to get an overall aerial shot of the fire building and to get a size up. (2301 PT)
Incident Timer has been stopped at 260 minutes at 2306 hours PT. Command states no longer needs as they are watching everything closely and in real-time.
Firefighters from several County Fire Districts are fighting a large commercial structure fire at the Washington Potato Company located in the 1900 block of West 1st Street in Warden.
Warden Police and several fire agencies on the scene of a commercial structure fire at Washington Potato in Warden. Early reports of no injuries. pic.twitter.com/S7tQ3hPwVb
–> LEVEL 1 NOW UPGRADED UP TO LEVEL 3 EVACUATIONS <–
–> Issued for West County Road U, to South of 170 <—
–> LEAVE AREA NOW! <–
Due to several explosions on the interior of the commercial building and unknown damage, firefighters have pulled out and are currently trying to remove all equipment from the area.
Staging has been moved back to one-mile from the scene on SR 170 and 17.
More units are still incoming.
A PAR was completed and all members are accounted for.
An ALS unit was dispatched to the scene. It is unknown if there are any injuries.
Warden PD and County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to clear out all of the spectators who gathered to watch the show.
A 5500-gallon tank of ammonia was inside the building and feared would explode. Several occurred but it was unknown which tanks were being impacted.
Resources from Electric City, Warden, Ephrata, Ritzville and Grant County multiple Fire Districts were either on-scene and/or en route.
Firefighters from several County Fire Districts are fighting a large commercial structure fire at the Washington Potato Company located in the 1900 block of West 1st Street in Warden.
Warden Police and several fire agencies on the scene of a commercial structure fire at Washington Potato in Warden. Early reports of no injuries. pic.twitter.com/S7tQ3hPwVb
The Warden Police and Grant County Sheriff Deputies are on-scene and providing traffic control.
More incoming fire resources are pouring into the area, with one 4×4 from Royal which is due to go around the rear of the structure to help with some tanks.
Some fire hydrants are being discovered as dead or dry, as firefighters work to locate additional water sources/supply.
A smell of natural gas was in the air and an immediate request to Dispatch to secure utilities.
Fire began to burn on the Alpha/Bravo side and Command sent out a broadcast for all members to stay away from the downwind side and out of the smoke. They are unsure what is burning or what is inside the smoke.
Current temps are 36*F with cloudy skies.
Level 1 Evacuation Notices
–> Issued for County Road U, to South of 170 <—
Command requested additional mutual engines and ladder units from Electric City, Warden and Ephrata departments. Resources are now being stated on SR 170 in Warden.
Around 2009 hours PT, fire coming through the roof and setting ablaze the packaging in the structure.
AVOID THE AREA. Possible toxic smoke is billowing out of the area and heading north from the structure.
IF YOU ARE IN THE AREA, yield to all emergency traffic. Pull to the right, when it is safe to do so.
ABOUT WARDEN, WASHINGTON
Warden is approximately 2.61 square miles with an estimated population of less than 3,000 residents.
Washington Potato Company has been an iconic staple in the area for several years and in business for the last 31 years. The company is described as a food processing and manufacturing, food products and wholesale of products.
This company has been in the news in 2017 when it was fined $100,000 for employment violations and originally in 2016 when it had a equipment lockout for repeated serious safety violations. This resulted in a serious workplace injury and being fined $213,160. Some of these violations were documented through various media outlets back to 2011.
Firefighters were dispatched to a structure fire in the area of North Main Street and West Union Street for a commercial structure fire on January 9, 2021 evening. The building is located near a 7-11 and Shell station.
Credit: JFRDJAX
Firefighters arrived just after 1736 hours PT and reporting a 2-story commercial building with fire from floor two. The building’s integrity was reported as unstable and collapsed shortly after arriving. Media reports which was retweeted by the City of Jacksonville (FL) states this was once a funeral home and vacant.
Over 100 firefighters would fight the stubborn blaze and was brought under control over one hour on the incident clock.
Significant events included: firefighters having to cool a propane tank at the nearby 7-11 store and working to set-up a collapse zone to keep all resources and firefighters safe.
A Brush truck (Brush Truck 200) along with additional resources were dispatched at 1830 hours PT to the the Mt. Baldi Ski Lift for a reported 9-1-1 call regarding a camp fire in the south parking lot.
This is an active incident and units are still en route.
Firefighters were dispatched to a structure fire in the area of North Main Street and West Union Street , to a commercial structure fire on January 9, 2021 evening. The building is located near a 7-11 and Shell station.
Firefighters arrived just after 1736 hours PT and reporting a 2-story commercial building with fire from floor two. The building’s integrity was reported as unstable and collapsed shortly after arriving. Media reports which was retweeted by the City of Jacksonville (FL) states this was once a funeral home and vacant.
Over 100 firefighters would fight the stubborn blaze and was brought under control over one hour on the incident clock.
Significant events included: firefighters having to cool a propane tank at the nearby 7-11 store and working to set-up a collapse zone to keep all resources and firefighters safe.
I’ve been briefed by @JFRDJAX Jax Fire and Rescue on a fire downtown. Updates will be provided as we have clear and accurate information. Pray for our fire fighters pic.twitter.com/XPNeDjXnOj
