Sunday, October 28, 2012
A Wenatchee World special section
THE FIRES of 2012
World photo/Don Seabrook
Part of a contract fire crew from Roseburg and Medford, Ore., took a break on Sleepy Hollow Road after building a fire line down a steep hillside, tying it to a dozer line and protecting the northeast corner of the Canyon Fire in Wenatchee.
For the better part of a month, ire and smoke from the Wenatchee Complex and other ires around the region threatened and shrouded North Central Washington. As the ires waned, the damages emerged: More than 210,000 acres blackened in Chelan, Douglas, Okanogan and Kittitas counties. Numerous events canceled, moved or rescheduled. A Montana tree-faller dead after sufering a heart attack as he tried to help stop the lames’ advance. But thanks to the eforts of more than 2,000 ireighters from here and across the West, no Wenatchee homes were lost. As rain and snow douse what’s left of the ires, Wenatchee looks back ... with gratitude.
World photo/Don Seabrook
Areli Solano-Arroyo, 12, left, and Tania Sanchez-Dena, 12, were among more than 200 Sterling Intermediate School students who walked to Eastmont Junior High School for lunch wearing masks to protect them from the hazardous air conditions from local wildfires.
D2
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Fires 2012
The Wenatchee World
Sept. 8-9: It begins with lightning A system of thunderstorms pummels eastern Washington, unleashing more than 4,000 lightning strikes and igniting some 100 fires, including the Canyons Fire in No. 1 Canyon west of Wenatchee. Firefighters are unable to stop it early and the blaze quickly grows
to 200 acres, forcing mandatory evacuations of 180 homes along the canyon and near the mouth of the canyon. The progression of the fire down the foothills toward the city is visible from much of the Wenatchee Valley. A statewide call goes out for more help.
Photo by Amy Holcomb
Lightning strikes set off the Wenatchee foothills.
World photo/Don Seabrook
Lightning struck near the Cashmere fairgrounds before a Saturday night rodeo. The rodeo went on as planned as the brunt of the storm passed by. But many brush fires were just getting started.
A brush fire was bursting into No. 1 Canyon, west of Wenatchee, in this westward view from East Wenatchee. World photo/Don Seabrook
Our Community Thanks You!
VISION CENTER Ronald H. Ullman M.D. PLLC Opthalmologist, Board Certified
We’re so thankful the smoke has cleared & the fires are out!
Kawasaki–Suzuki–Yamaha 3013 GS Center Road • Wenatchee (509) 662-3434 • legendpowersports.com
We were proud to have provided full eye exams at no cost to locals who were evacuated and 20% off for firefighters.
Thank You for saving our communities! 2000 N. Wenatchee Ave., 665-9323 WENATCHEE 108 Apple Blossom Dr, Chelan 682-2195 CHELAN
Fires 2012
Sunday, October 28, 2012
The Wenatchee World
D3
World photos/Don Seabrook
Flames approached a house near Westview Drive shortly after dawn one morning (left). With fire roaring toward Forest Ridge Drive, Crystal Holm hurriedly packed up paintings, most of them her own artwork, from the walls of her home.
Sept. 10-12: With homes at risk, a call for backups A national ire management team is called in as ires threaten hundreds of homes on the edges of Wenatchee, Cashmere, Entiat and Lake Chelan. The ires are collectively called the Wenatchee Complex. The Canyons Fire near Wenatchee and the Poison Fire near Cashmere grow to nearly 10,000 acres combined. Evacuation orders spread to No. 2 Canyon and the Broadview subdivision in Wenatchee and Mission Creek Road near Cashmere. “We watched the column of black smoke from our rooftop,� said Bill Mattson, a resident of Canyons Place in Wenatchee. “That was a sobering moment.� Three ires burning north of Entiat merge into the Byrd Fire, forcing evacuations and the temporary closure of Highway 97A. Nearly 500 homes in Chelan County are now World photo/Don Seabrook under varying levels of evacuation. Wind pushed flames and smoke toward houses on Austin Court just west of Wenatchee when a brush fire erupted in No. 1 Canyon. “We have a Herculean task,� said ire spokeswoman Susan Peterson. “The ires are widespread and changing by the minute.� Douglas County has declared a state of emergency because of two large wildires that burned three homes and nine outbuildings. The U.S. Forest Service closes a large area between Cashmere and Mission Ridge to recreation. There are so many ires burning across the eastern Washington and the western U.S. that ire crews, air support and other resources are hard to get. So ire World photos/Don Seabrook oicials take a defensive stand and just work to A helicopter dumped water on a fire threatening the northeast corner of the Canyon Fire in the Horse Lake Road canyon (left). Within days, out-of-town protect homes. firefighers settled into yurts at Confluence State Park, where a camp sprouted to house and feed the crews.
" " $
a heartfelt
THANK YOU Blossom Creek Memory Care
Blossom Valley Assisted Living
(509) 662-3500 1740 Madison Street Wenatchee, WA 98801
(509) 667-0990 1701 Orchard Avenue, Wenatchee, WA 98801
2.99% Fixed APR financing
#( (
$
#(FOURTRAX (ÂŽ RANCHERÂŽ
to all the Firefighters for your hard work in protecting our homes and our beautiful valley this fall!
As low as
for 36 months on approved credit*
Up to
$800 Bonus Bucks on select models**
- '*1 -
+ .*
%2! 3 ) ) %)#
*)/- / &-
"*, (*).$- *) ++,*0! ,! %. *) -!'! . (* !'-
- '*1 -
%2! 3 ) ) %)#
+ .*
www.DogHouse-MotorSports.com
*)/- / &-
"*, (*).$- *) ++,*0! ,! %. *) -!'! . (* !'-
Wenatchee HONDA BRP
SEE DEALER FOR DETAILS
314 S. Wenatchee Ave., Wenatchee, WA 98801
(509) 663-0075
powersports.honda.com UTILITY ATVs ARE RECOMMENDED ONLY FOR RIDERS 16 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER. BE A RESPONSIBLE RIDER, ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET, EYE PROTECTION AND PROTECTIVE CLOTHING, AND PLEASE RESPECT THE ENVIRONMENT. OBEY THE LAW AND READ YOUR OWNER’S MANUAL THOROUGHLY. *2.99% Fixed APR financing available for customers who qualify for super preferred credit tier for up to 36 months through Honda Financial Services. Payment example: 36 monthly payments of $29.08 for each $1,000 financed. Offer good on all new and unregistered FourTrax Rancher models. Not all buyers may qualify. Higher rates apply for buyers with lower credit ratings. Offer ends 1/2/13. **$800 Bonus Bucks valid on 2013 and prior TRX420TE/TM models and $650 Bonus Bucks valid on 2013 and prior TRX420FM models. $300 Bonus Bucks valid on 2012 and prior TRX420FE/FPE/FPM models, and $150 Bonus Bucks valid on 2013 TRX420FE/FPE/FPM models. Bonus Bucks redeemable only for purchases at dealer on purchase, date. No cash value. Non-transferable. Redemption value is not to exceed $800. Offer ends 10/31/12 or 11/30/12 depending on model selected. Check with participating Honda Dealers for complete details. FourTraxŽ and RancherŽ are trademarks of Honda Motor Co. Ltd. 32012 American Honda Motor co. Inc. (10/12) 12-1103
D4
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Sept. 13: Then came the smoke ...
Fires 2012
The Wenatchee World
A strong weather inversion traps smoke from several wildires in the valleys between Wenatchee and Leavenworth. Air quality in the Wenatchee area and Cashmere is declared hazardous and Cashmere students are sent home from school early. Several schools cancel outdoor sports practices and recess, and
many community events are canceled because of the smoke. People are advised to stay indoors, and to use masks when going outside. After lying over Wenatchee and not seeing it through the smoke, Gov. Chris Gregoire visits the ire camp at Wenatchee Conluence State Park. “I kept asking the pilot ‘Where’s Wenatchee?’ ” she told ire
oicials. “I couldn’t see Wenatchee. What I could see of the ires was that they were robust, they were raging, and there were spot ires all over the place.” As a result, she declares a state of emergency in eastern Washington because of the ires, and pledges all the state’s available resources to help.
World photo/Don Seabrook
Smoke from local fires settled in like fog on an East Wenatchee neighborhood.
Sept. 14: Spreading flames, widening evacuations
World photo/Don Seabrook
A layer of smoke hung over downtown Cashmere, where the school district canceled classes for days because of the health hazards of the smoke.
The Canyons Fire moves west, forcing more mandatory evacuations in No. 2 Canyon west of Wenatchee but allowing Broadview residents to return home. Homes in Tripp Canyon west of Cashmere are evacuated due to the Poison Fire, and the upper end of the Entiat Valley is closed because of the Klone and Pyramid ires. The First Creek ire on the south shore of Lake Chelan starts to become a concern for ire oicials. More than 900 ireighters are now assigned to the Wenatchee Complex and
Check Out The 2013 Ultra Classic Firefighter Special Edition
755 homes from Wenatchee to Lake Chelan are under various levels of evacuation. Additional resources are still hard to come by because of high demand across the nation. “So we’ve just been trying to herd it (ire) away from homes,” said ire spokesman Mick Mueller. “It’s not ideal. But, overall, it’s worked as a strategy. We haven’t lost any homes.”Fireighters lit up their irst large burnout along Highway 97 as a last-stand to stop the Peavine Fire’s progress to the north.
Giving thanks. Banner Bank values the local communities we serve. The people from here and across the country who came together to protect the communities around Wenatchee are heroes in our eyes. To all of the firefighters and support crew who fought the wildfires, Banner Bank gives you our deepest and most sincere thanks.
Our Community Thanks You All! 3013 GS Center Road, Wenatchee (509) 662-3434 legendharley.com
Wenatchee Branch 501 N. Mission (509) 662-9221 East Wenatchee Branch 255 Rock Island Rd. (509) 884-1390
bannerbank.com Member FDIC
Fires 2012
The Wenatchee World
Sunday, October 28, 2012
D5
World photo/Don Seabrook
An N95 breathing mask, respirator quickly became a fashion fixture in downtown Wenatchee.
Sept. 15-16: Unrelenting smoke chokes Wenatchee, Cashmere areas Air pollution in Wenatchee and Cashmere reaches unprecedented levels. “For some people, leaving here may be the only solution to feeling better,� said Mary Small, a public health nurse. The inversion that is holding in the smoke is suppressing growth on most of the fires. A brief easing of the inversion temporarily clears the air but also breathes new life into fires near Cashmere, Mission Ridge and in the Entiat Valley. More evacuations are ordered west of Cashmere and firefighters begin protecting 37 recreation cabins in the Entiat Valley. New fires are reported near Leavenworth and north of Lake Wenatchee, and the Table Mountain Fire in Kittitas County starts moving closer to Wenatchee. Firefighters complete fire lines all around the Canyons Fire and evacuation orders continue to ease at the edge of Wenatchee. About 1,300 firefighters are now based out of Wenatchee.
Photo by Carl Mattheis
As smoke darkened the sky, the sun took on an apocalyptic, blood-red color, making midday seem like twilight.
World photo/Don Seabrook
The start of the Fiestas Mexicanas at Lincoln Park included dancing, smoke and masks. Tania Reyes and Cornelio Arroyo, East Wenatchee, took advantage of a live band to dance near the stage. Despite the conditions, the festival drew an enthusiastic crowd.
World photo/Don Seabrook
Wenatchee High School’s cross country team trained inside the Town Toyota Center as they sought protection from the smoke outside. High schools in Wenatchee, East Wenatchee, and the Wenatchee Valley scrambled to find places for their athletic teams to practice.
OUR FIRES DON’T SMOKE!
Thank You
And thanks to all of the brave firefighters, neither do Wenatchee’s fires!
We’re proud to have had many firefighters stay with us and we appreciate their efforts to suppress the Wenatchee Complex fires and others that they assisted on.
THANK YOU!
ALL NEW FOR 2012 AGP PELLET BURNING
STOVE
Easy to Operate t 4UBUF PG UIF BSU $POUSPM 1BOFM
Easy to Live With t 6TFT BMM HSBEFT PG QFMMFUT t 3FWPMVUJPOBSZ GFFE TZTUFN t )FBUT VQ UP TR GU t $MFBO CVSOJOH
Easy to Own t -JTU QSJDF
Thank You FireďŹ ghters!
You’re the Best!
SALE $
2395
Your hard work and persistence in protecting the home we love is greatly appreciated.
FINANCING AVAILABLE
Chieftain Inn
Made in USA Available in custom colors
WENATCHEE Since 1978
CHELAN
1854 N. Wenatchee Ave. 146 E. Woodin Ave. .PO 'SJ t 4BU .PO 4BU t 4VO 663-8427 682-3431 Swimworldinc.com 4FF VT PO GBDFCPPL
“The little Bank with the big circle of friends� 1017 N. Wenatchee Ave. Wenatchee 509-665-8585 (877) 203-8585
You helped us keep the lights on A big THANK YOU to the brave men and women who helped Chelan County PUD line crews get into fire-threatened areas to safely protect our power poles. We appreciate you!
www.CashmereValleyBank.com
Equal Housing Lender Member FDIC
Honda Generators IN STOCK NOW! EARLY BIRD SPECIAL! EU2000i
t XBUUT t -JHIUXFJHIU ‰-FTT UIBO MCT t 1BSBMMFM XJUI PUIFS &6 J GPS BEEJUJPOBM QPXFS
18 MONTHS NO INTEREST FINANCING 3 YEAR WARRANTY!
EU3000is t XBUUT t 3VOT UP IPVST PO HBMMPOT PG GVFM t $POWFOJFOU FMFDUSJD TUBSUJOH
EU2000i List $1,149
EU3000is List $2,329
SALE $999
SALE $1,999
www.doghouse-motorsports.com
4 8FOBUDIFF "WF t 509-663-0075
D6
Sunday, October 28, 2012
The Wenatchee World
Fires 2012
A helicopter crew pounded Wenatchee’s Canyon Fire with loads of water in the Horse Lake Road area.
The crews who put it on the line Kyle Hook with Union Hotshots of La Grande, Ore., sawed dead trees along Highway 97 near the summit of Blewett Pass in anticipation of a wildfire approaching the roadway. The crew used the highway as a fire break as the Table Mountain fire burned about a mile away.
Brad McDonald from Pilot Rock, Ore., hacked into a burning stump while working on the Poison Fire near Camas Meadows and Dryden. His crew was working this fire, and with other crews, expecting to perform a back burn when the Table Mountain Fire exploded, shutting down their operation.
A Snohomish County fire crew rushed to clear brush a a brush fire approached.
Fires 2012
The Wenatchee World
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Chris Grieve, a sawyer with the Diamond Fire Crew out of Roseburd and Medford Ore., helped cut sagebrush out of a fire line the crew was building on the northeast corner of the Canyon Fire. In the background, the fire burns its way down the canyon toward them. Crews endured heat, dust, smoke and snakes as they worked in the hills around Wenatchee.
Sept. 17: A man lost Timber faller Chris Seelye, 61, of Darby, Mont., sufers a heart attack while working on the Klone Fire in the Entiat Valley and dies on the way to the hospital. He worked for U.S. Timber Cutters and is survived by two daughters.
Bulldozer operator Travis Whitford, with Mountain Excavators of Cashmere, cut a fire line tying Horse Lake Road to a hand line built by a crew of 40 firefighters from Oregon, protecting the northeast corner of the fire.
and debris away from a vacant house at the end of Springwater Avenue in Wenatcchee as
Kyle Hook stopped to repair his chain saw after the blade came off of the bar while he was cutting along Highway 97.
World photos
Don Seabrook
D7
D8
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Fires 2012
The Wenatchee World
Sept. 18-22: Fires crackling around the region As ireighters work to contain ires in Chelan County, the Table Mountain Fire in Kittitas County blows up. Chunks of burning embers and debris fall on the Forest Ridge subdivision and Mission Ridge Ski & Board Resort, prompting an immediate evacuation of the upper Squilchuck to the ski resort. Wenatchee and Cashmere residents have now been breathing hazardous air for more than a week, and the Chelan-Douglas Health District declares a health emergency in the Wenatchee Valley. A smoke relief emergency center is opened. The Wenatchee Complex is now the top priority ire in the nation. There are more than 2,000 ire personnel assigned to the ire complex, including some 100 ireighters who arrived this week from Canada. The Blewett Pass highway closes intermittently and reopens with one-lane traic and pilot cars as ireighters set a series of backires to stop the now-combined Peavine and Table ires. The Stemilt Basin and Colockum are closed to recreation because of ire, and crews begin to put in hoses to protect Tall Timber Ranch and several vacation cabins in the White River drainage near Lake Wenatchee because of the Sears Fire. Elsewhere, Alta Lake State Park is closed and homes are evacuated near Pateros because of the growing Goat Fire.
The Leahy Fire in Douglas County burned more than 60,000 acres and claimed three homes and nine outbuildings.
A Skycrane helicopter tapped into Beehive Reservoir to cool down hot spots on the Peavine Fire. Photo provided by the U.S. Forest Service
Photo provided by Lynn Suhing
We’re All Safe!
Thank You Firefighters!
Thank You Firefighters for protecting our community! No words can express our deepest gratitude.
THANK YOU for your efforts in protecting our communities, homes and citizens.
Premium Cigars Gift Sets Special Orders Accessories Travel & Desktop Humidors TV, Wi-Fi & Pool
527 Piere St. Ste A, Wenatchee, WA
509-881-1722 www.facebook.com/SticksHouseOfCigars
50 Simon St. SE Suite A East Wenatchee WA 98802 509-886-0700
509-662-9631
Serving the Northwest since 1934...
WINTER’S IN THE HOUSE! NOVEMBER 10th
—
11 am to 5 pm
We’re proud to be a part of this great community.
Thank you firefighters and support groups! ®
The all-new 2013 Summit sled is here! Come discover how the redesigned REV-XM™ platform and the revolutionary tMotion™ suspension will take your riding skills to the next level! Plus, kick off the snowmobiling season with us by taking advantage of this great deal!
NO DOWN PAYMENT, NO PAYMENTS PLUS GET UP TO $2,000 REBATE ON 2012 MODELS AND NO INTEREST FOR 6 MONTHS †
^
Hurry! Offer* ends soon! Let us show you how to take your snowmobiling experience to another level! Date:
www.DogHouse-MotorSports.com
314 S. Wenatchee Ave., Wenatchee, WA 98801
Wenatchee HONDA BRP
(509) 663-0075
© 2012 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. All rights reserved. ®, ™ Trademarks of Bombardier Recreational Products or its affiliates. Products are distributed in the United States (US) by BRP U.S. Inc. *Offers valid in the U.S. at participating Ski-Doo® dealers on new and unused 2012 and 2013 Ski-Doo snowmobiles (excluding racing units and spring-only units) purchased, delivered and registered between now and November 30, 2012. †NO Down Payment, NO Interest and NO Payments for 6 months. On a purchase made between now and November 30, 2012, your down payment is $0; no interest charged and no payments for 6 months. Thereafter, 60 consecutive monthly payments. Annual percentage rate is 13.95%. [Annual percentage rate subject to increase after promotional period.] The above financing program is offered by Sheffield Financial, a Division of BB&T Financial, FSB. Minimum Amount Financed $1,500; Maximum Amount Financed $40,000. Subject to credit approval. Not all consumers will qualify for financing offer. Approval, and any rates and terms provided, are based on credit worthiness. Other financing offers available. Financing promotions void where prohibited. BRP is not responsible for any errors, changes or actions related to financing provided by Sheffield Financial. ^Up to $2,000 rebate on 2012 models (amount depends on the model purchased). Promotions are subject to termination or change at any time without notice. See your participating Ski-Doo dealer for all details. Offer may not be assigned, traded, sold or combined with any other offer unless expressly stated herein. Offer void where restricted or otherwise prohibited by law. BRP reserves the right, at any time, to discontinue or change specifications, prices, designs, features, models or equipment without incurring any obligation.Always consult your snowmobile dealer when selecting a snowmobile for your particular needs and carefully read and pay special attention to your Operator’s Guide, Safety Video, Safety Handbook and to the safety labelling on your snowmobile. Always ride responsibly and safely. Always wear appropriate clothing, including a helmet. Always observe applicable local laws and regulations. Don’t drink and drive.
1107662
700 North Mission St., Wenatchee
(509) 663-1131
www.homchick.com
Fires 2012
The Wenatchee World
Sunday, October 28, 2012
D9
Sept. 23-24: As danger eases, some return home Forest Ridge residents are allowed to return home, marking the irst time in two weeks that no homes in Chelan County are under mandatory evacuation. The ire danger is also easing up near Cashmere, Entiat and Lake Chelan, and ire crews are being sent home. Burnouts continue along Blewett Pass and near Mission Ridge to corral the Peavine Fire — the only ire still considered a possible threat to homes. All ire lines hold through winds that gust to 35 mph. Cashmere
students return to class for the irst time in more than a week after entry vestibules, new air ilters and air scrubbers are installed in schools. The air in Wenatchee and Cashmere is still hazardous, but the pollution levels are dropping. Rehabilitation of burned areas has begun, and agency oicials are making plans to stabilize burned hillside to prevent runof and looding. Elsewhere in NCW, the last residents under mandatory evacuation in the Methow Valley are allowed to return home.
World photo/Mike Bonnicksen
Thank-you signs at the entrance to the fire camp at Wenatchee Confluence State Park.
Sept. 25-30: Winds sweep out valley’s bad air
The Canyons Fire roared through the foothills of Wenatchee and came frighteningly close to numerous homes. Photo by Amanda Holaday
Firefighters, Thank You from all of us at Sangster Motors!
Occasional winds scour smoke out of the valleys, giving Cashmere and Wenatchee their irst breaths of fresh air in more than two weeks. But ire crews continue to set intentional ires to build containment lines, so smoke still chokes communities when inversions set back in. Air quality varies between unhealthy and hazardous, and is mostly unhealthy in Leavenworth, Entiat, Chelan, Quincy, Winthrop and Pateros. Blewett Pass closes for several hours when a heavy inversion traps smoke from the Table and Peavine ires. The Canyons, Byrd, Poison and First Creek ires are fully contained.
Community means so much to us. We’re proud of our annual community service project and we are very appreciative of your efforts to preserve our way of life in the valley.
Thank You CORDELL, NEHER & COMPANY PLLC C E R T I F I E D P U B L IC AC C O U N TA N TS
THANK YOU
Ninth & Miller, Wenatchee 662-6134 • 1-800-450-3600 www.sangstermotors.com
175 E. Penny Road Ste 1 Wenatchee, WA 509-663-1661 www.cnccpa.com
Thank you Firefighters for protecting us and our pets. We’re happy to have been able to board pets for residents who were evacuated during the recent fires.
Firefighters & Support Personnel
Providing comprehensive animal health care in a professional and compassionate environment.
8BMMB 8BMMB "WF t 8FOBUDIFF t DBTDBEFWFUDMJOJD DPN "GUFS )PVST &NFSHFODZ 4FSWJDF
www.doghouse-motorsports.com
4 8FOBUDIFF "WF t 509-663-0075
D10 Sunday, October 28, 2012
The Wenatchee World
Fires 2012
The Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle/Al Camp World photo/Don Seabrook
Bruce Jackson of Rockport, Texas, was among the visiting crews working the Poison Fire along Camas Meadows near Dryden. His crew was expecting to perform a back burn when the Table Mountain Fire exploded, shutting down their operation and forcing a change of plans.
WHERE THE HELP CAME FROM The U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Washington Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Bureau of Indian Afairs and Chelan County ire and police agencies provided leadership, personnel, aerial support and equipment in battling the Chelan County wildires with the help of national forests, state agencies, ire districts and private contractors from across the country and Canada. National Interagency Incident Management Teams: Two emergency management teams from the Northwest and Southwest oversaw the ireighting efort in Chelan County for nearly a month, developing strategies, ordering in resources and then dividing them up between many ires. Washington All American Resources, Evans Artillery Concepts, Leavenworth Aspen Mountain Resources, Republic Back Country Wildire, Omak Bainbridge Island Fire Department Ballard Ambulance, Wenatchee Batchelor Excavation, Manson Benton County Fire District 1 Benton County Fire District 2 Benton County Fire District 5 Big Foot Transportation, Rice Black Pine Contracting, Twisp Boulder Creek Contracting, Winthrop Brothers Industries (Brothers Fire), Twisp Burgess Logging, Leavenworth Cashmere Fire Department Cascade Water Tankers, East Wenatchee Castle Rock Fire Department Cathlamet Fire Department C2C Liberty Wildire, Twisp Chelan County Fire District 1 Chelan County Fire District 3 Chelan County Fire District 5 Chelan County Fire District 6 Chelan County Fire District 7 Chelan County Fire District 8 Chelan County Fire District 9 Chelan County Sherif’s Oice Chewack Wildire, Spokane Classic Helicopter Corp., Seattle College Place Fire Department Columbia Basin Job Corps Columbia Hydroseed, Wenatchee
Columbia Valley Excavation, Entiat Cowlitz County Fire District 2 Cowlitz County Fire District 6 Crewzers Fire Crew Transport, East Wenatchee Department of Natural Resources Douglas County Fire District 2 Early Winters Strike Team, Winthrop East Pierce Fire & Rescue Eastside Fire & Rescue, Issaquah Eatonville Fire Department Entiat Hot Shots, Entiat Ephrata Fire Department Femling Fire Fighting, Okanogan Firestormers, Chehalis Ford Excavating and Trucking, Cle Elum Franklin County Fire District 3 Gig Harbor Fire Department Grant County Fire District 3 Grant County Fire District 5 Grant County Fire District 10 Grays Harbor Fire District 2 Grays Harbor Fire District 5 Hanford Fire Department Hanson & Sons, Carlton Havillah Lumber, Tonasket Innes Wood Products, Keller Island County Fire District 2, Oak Harbor JBS Enterprises, Tonasket JC Emergency Environmental Services, Omak JRD Construction, Buckley Johnsen Wildire Suppression, Tonasket King County Fire District 20 King County Fire District 22 King County Fire District 45 King Hydroseeding, Arlington LL Meadow Wildire, Okanogan Lewis County Fire District 2 Lewis County Fire District 4 Lewis County Fire District 5 Liberty Wildire, Twisp Lifeline Ambulance, Wenatchee Lone Wolf Wildire, Walla Walla Mason County Fire District 1 Mason County Fire District 2 Mason County Fire District 4 Mason County Fire District 5 Mason County Fire District 12 Mount Rainier National Park Gene Matt Trucking, Omak Methow Valley Pump Midland Trucking, Wenatchee Moore Excavation & Trucking, Chelan
Moses Lake Fire Department Mount Vernon Fire Department Mountain Transporter, Winthrop North County (Snohomish) Regional Fire Authority North Kitsap Fire & Rescue, Kingston North Whidbey Fire Department Northern Columbia Reforestation, Colville Olympic Correction Center Paciic County Fire District 1 Pierce County Fire District 13 Pierce County Fire District 14 Phillip Remsberg Logging, Twisp Rainier Wildire, Moses Lake Region West Support Services, Chelan Richland Fire Department San Juan County Fire District 3 Scholl Fire & Fuels Management, Walla Walla Snohomish County Fire District Gerald Scholz LLC, Tonasket S&L Services, Winthrop S.E. Thurston Fire & EMS Silver Tip Forestry, Colville Skagit County Fire District 3 Sky Runners Corp., Walla Walla Smoke Shooters, Yakima Snohomish County Fire District3 Snohomish County Fire District 8 Snohomish County Fire District 21 Snohomish County Fire District 22, Arlington Snohomish County Fire District 25 Snohomish County Fire District 26 Spokane County Fire District 4 Spokane County Fire District 9 Spokane County Fire District 10 Spokane Fire Department Spokane Valley Fire Department Stevens County Fire District 1 Stevens County Fire District 6 Stotts Construction, Curlew The Road Home Inc., Peshastin Thurston County Fire District 9 Thurston County Fire District 12 Thurston County Fire District 16 Timbered Rangeland Management, Ellensburg Tollefson Construction, Omak Tri-State Fire Services, Cashmere Tryways Inc., Wenatchee U.S. Timber Cutters, North Bend Upper Valley Excavating, Leavenworth Wahkiakum Fire District 4
OUR COMMUNITY THANKS ALL OF YOU!
3013 GS CENTER ROAD WENATCHEE (509) 662-3434 • LEGENDHARLEY.COM
Please see HELP, Page D11
Flames climbed uphill behind St. Mary’s Mission in a fire that swept more than 5,000 acres in less than 24 hours outside Omak.
Oct. 2: Newest fire hits the Colville reservation A new ire breaks out on Colville Indian Reservation, destroying two homes and several outbuildings. Gusty winds hit all the ires in NCW, but lines hold tight. “The big test was the red-lag (wind) warning for the last two days,” said ire spokesman Brad Pitassi. “Fireighters did an outstanding job holding lines for us,” he added. The national ire management team overseeing the Wenatchee Complex determines that the ire lines are secure enough for them to leave and turn the ires back to local control. Fireighters camping out in tents contend with cold temperatures that dip into the 30s at night. Some irehoses freeze.
World photo/Don Seabrook
Efrain Ramirez pumped out portable toilets while Bruce Gerber sprayed them down at the fire camp at Confluence State Park. Because their business, Apple Valley Pumping, received the contract to service the fire camps in Central Washington, they pulled workers from other areas of the business to pump out the toilets daily.
Fires 2012
The Wenatchee World
Sunday, October 28, 2012
D11
Oct. 4-10: Air quality’s getting better, but unhealthy conditions linger Although air quality is no longer hazardous, several community are still dealing with unhealthy breathing conditions. Most ireighters have gone home, and the ire camp moves out of Wenatchee Conluence State Park after nearly a month. Fire oicials warn there is still potential for new ires to start because of dry conditions. “We have not seen wildire conditions this bad in October in a lifetime,� Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark said. Fire oicials don’t expect full containment of some ires until December, when they are put out by rain or snow.
World photo/Don Seabrook
With homes still in jeopardy at the end of the pavement — where the farthest houses are 4 1/2 miles up No.2 Canyon — neighbors greeted a firetruck arriving from Wenatchee that was being stationed at one of their homes for fire protection. From left are Cooter and Andrea Whitaker, Dara Hickman and Jon Markel.
California Action Sanitary, Lower Lake Aztecs, Angeles National Forest Cobras, Sequoia National Forest Fresno, Sierra National Forest Inyo Crew, Inyo National Forest Del Rosa Hot Shots, San Bernardino Plumas Hot Shots, Quincy Rogers Helicopters, Fresno Scorpions, Sequoia National Forest Ukonom Hot Shots, Orleans
Help From Page D10
Walla Walla Fire District 4 Walla Walla Fire District 5 Walla Walla Fire District 6 Washington National Guard Wenatchee Fire Department Wenatchee Job Corps Wenatchee Police Department Wenatchee-Okanogan National Forest West Thurston Regional Fire Authority Yakima County Fire District 3 Oregon 3 B’s Forestry Inc., Medford A-1 Firestorm, Burns AAA Thunderbolt Fire Service, John Day ASI Engines, Independence ASP Fire, Albany A-Team Wildire Contract Engines, La Grande Aqua Force, La Grande Ash Kickers, Brookings Atherly Contracting, Burns Bear Mountain Fire, Sisters Big Bear Logging & Fire Suppression, Coquille Bly Mountain Fire Suppression, Bonanza Central Oregon National Wildlife Refuge Columbia Helicopters Connie’s Inc., La Grande Contract Water Wagons, Joseph Cooper Contracting, Prineville Corwin Co. Inc., La Grande Crown Chaser Fire Fighting, Pilot Rock Dare Enterprises (water handling), Bend Deschutes U-Boat, Maupin Diamond Fire, Sutherlin Doherty Fence, Pilot Rock Dust Busters Plus, Eugene Dye Hard Fire Fighting, McMinnville Eagle Cap Forest Management, La Grande Erickson Air-Crane, Portland Eye of the Eagle, La Grande Fyr Fly, Enterprise First Strike Environmental Co., Roseburg GE Forestry, Central Point
Idaho Croman Corp. (helicopter) For Stars Express Catering P.J. Helicopters Salmon River Helicopters Inc. Timberline Helicopters, Sandpoint
World photo/Don Seabrook
Kyle Hook with Union Hotshots of La Grande, Ore., worked near the summit of Blewett Pass.
GFP Emergency Services, Sisters GH Ranch LLC, Klamath Falls GJ Corns (Allied Water Service), Rogue River Grayback Forestry, Merlin Grey Wolf Enterprises Inc., Merrill Grizzly Fireighters Inc., Salem HB Company Inc., Grants Pass Hanging Rock Excavation & Construction, La Grande Hayes Independent Contracting, John Day Hek Jones Dust Control, Enterprise Hot Line Fire Service, John Day Ice-Crescent, Crescent Inbound LLC, based out of Cave Junction, Oakridge and Portland Iron Triangle, John DayJ3 Contracting, Milton Freewater JB Logging, Chiloquin JC Orozco Reforestation, Sheridan JL&S Contracting, Salme JTP Contracting, La Grande Jacksonville Pump, Central Point
Jess Pitt Wildire Suppression, Klamath Falls Josi Fire Control, Wallowa Joyce Trucking, Joseph K&L Farms, Summerville Keno Mobile Incident Support Center Larvik Disposal, La Grande La Grande Hot Shots, La Grande Lakeview Ranger District Lava River Forestry, Salem MQ Franco Reforestation, Aumsville Malheur National Wildlife Refuge Miller Timber Services, Philomath Mosqueda Reforestation, Salem North Cascades Air Transport North Paciic Forestry, Salem North Reforestation, Monmouth Northside Mobile Services, Redmond Leonard Osburn, Monument Don Moss Enterprises, Dayville Outpost of Enterprise Owens Freight Lines, Prineville Owsley Canyon Engine Company,
Ontario PR Reforestation, Salem Paciic Oasis, Ashland Patrick Environmental, Springield Ponderosa Reforestation Inc., Medford R&R Contracting, Salem RPM Logistics, Troutdale Rahn Sanitary Service, Enterprise Rain Dance Central, La Pine Rogue River Fire & Water, Rogue River Rogue Valley Wildire, Rogue River Sky Research, Ashland T. Scott Dunn Construction Timber Lake Job Corps, Estacada Two Feathers, La Pine Umatilla National Forest Union Hot Shots, La Grande Utting Construction, Sheridan Keith Whitehead Reforestation, Tillamook Winema Hot Shots, Klamath Falls, Wolf Creek Hot Shots, Glide Bruce Young Logging, Heppner
Elsewhere Aerial Timber Applicators, Cooperstown, N.D. Alaska Wildland Support, Delta Junction, Alaska Airborne Flying Service, Ariz. Augusta Hot Shots, Harrisonburg, Va. Billings Flying Service, Billings, Mont. Conair Group, Alaska Construction Helicopters Inc. Howell, Mich. Dynamic Aviation Group, Va. Falcon Executive Aviation, Ariz. Fishlake National Forest, Utah Firehawk Helicopters, Fla. Greater Eagle Fire Protection District, Eagle, Colo. Guardian Helicopters, Fort Nelson, B.C. Helicopters Express Inc., Ga. Heloair Inc., Sandston, Va. Henry’s Aerial Service, Ark. Houston Air, Colo. J3 Contracting, El Paso, Texas Neptune Aviation Services, Missoula, Mont. Pecos Valley Wildire (mobile retardant base), Artesia, N.M. Ponderosa Aviation, Ariz. Southern Pueblos Agency, Albuequerque, N.M. Summit Helicopters Inc., Cloverdale, Va. Vale Hot Shots, Vale, Colo. Wet ‘N Red LLC, Sonita, Ariz. Zuni Agency, Zuni, N.M.
Our roots go deep in this community and we are so very grateful that no homes were lost in the recent ďŹ res.
Thank you to all who made this possible!
Honda Snowblowers
IN STOCK NOW! Don’t Get Caught Out In The Cold This Winter.
Family Owned and Operated Since 1983
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL! HS 520 List $729
SALE $639
18 MONTHS NO INTEREST FINANCING HS 724 List $2,469
SALE $2,299
509.663.3967
John P. Hisey, M.A. & John D. Hisey, M.A. 4QSJOHXBUFS t 8FOBUDIFF XXX NJDSPOJOD DPN “Hearing solutions for every budget.�
www.doghouse-motorsports.com
4 8FOBUDIFF "WF t 509-663-0075
D12 Sunday, October 28, 2012
Fires 2012
The Wenatchee World
World photo/Don Seabrook
As the Sage Hills recover, quail and other wildlife are dusting themselves off and trying to get back to their lives.
Oct. 15 to now: Fall — and blessed normalcy — returns to NCW
World photo/Don Seabrook
Roper Steere, 3, Wenatchee, got a closer look at some fire maps being given away during one of two public tours of the fire camp at Confluence State Park as activity slowed. Fire officials spent some of their extra time showing the public how a fire camp opperates.
Fall rains bring fresh air to all NCW communities. All fires in the region are now turned over to local ranger districts and fire agencies and are in patrol status. Gov. Chris Gregoire lifts the burn ban in Eastern Washington. The Peavine Fire and others still not contained in higher wilderness areas are still smoldering, but snow and rain are quickly drowning them out.
Stories by
Michelle McNeil
Some people run from problems Others run to them.
THANK YOU FIREFIGHTERS We call them HEROES. REAL ESTATE SERVICES, INC.
Junk Haulers
E Z AUTO PARTS
Wenatchee
888-5865
XFOBUDIFFXPSME DPN r
Douglas County PUD www.douglaspud.org