Klickitat County fire stretches to 50,000 acres after burning through weekend

Fire crews in Central Washington are working to protect a natural gas pipeline and solar farms east of Goldendale in Klickitat County.

An unknown number of people have evacuated their homes and cabins west of Goldendale because of a wildfire. The fire started around 3:35 p.m. Friday on Newell Road near Bickleton and has now grown to more than 50,000 acres, covering at least 20 miles of land.

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“We are forecasted to have 40-mile-an-hour winds so we’ll see what that does to us, but the direction and where we are with the fire, we feel like we’re in a pretty good place,” National Interagency Fire Center spokesperson Dave Robertson told KIRO Newsradio. “In other areas where it’s diverted away from the highway we’ve set crews and resources up in there with dozers to put that line in.”

Robertson said Highway 14 helped act as a fire line.

Damage is still unclear, but some structures have gone up in flames. Approximately 80 square miles have burned in the Newell Road fire, as of this reporting.

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“It’s important we bring the community together to help everyone understand what is being done to protect lives and property and prevent further damage as this wildfire grows,” Rep. Gina Mosbrucker said in a prepared statement. “We want to be available to answer questions and help inform residents of what they can expect and what they should be doing to protect themselves and their families.”