Investigators looking for driver possibly connected to Black Canyon Fire
Jul 25, 2024, 5:19 PM
The Black Canyon Fire continues to burn.
A wildfire, dubbed the Black Canyon Fire, erupted near the towns of Selah and Naches Monday night. On Thursday, state fire investigators announced they are looking for a driver who was in the area when the Black Canyon Fire started.
Ryan Rodruck with the Department of Natural Resources told KIRO Newsradio witnesses saw the car Monday night, near Naches in Yakima County.
“We are looking for more information and that car was sighted in the area and we’re potentially looking to get the public’s help in locating it,” Rodruck said.
Rodruck said the car is an early 90s, potentially 1990 to 1995, Blue Ford Escort.
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The Black Canyon Fire has now grown to more than 17 square miles. The cause is still under investigation but Rodruck reminded everyone to exercise caution as human-caused wildfires are common.
“The word of the day is caution right now,” Rodruck said. “We need folks to help us by respecting those burn bans where they are in place and help us keep sparks off the landscape.”
Fire crews are working to protect hundreds of homes in the fire zone.
Public lands commissioner Hillary Franz plans to visit the burn area on Friday, according to a news release.
Other local fires
The Pioneer Fire, located 31 miles northwest of Chelan in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, continues to burn, just as it has since June 8. As of Thursday, it is 14% contained and has grown to more than 30,000 acres in size. The fire is expected to burn through most of October.
The Cougar Creek Fire started in the Blue Mountains about 50 miles east of Walla Walla and has expanded to 13,511 acres despite being at 26% containment.
In Eastern Washington, the Bridge Creek Fire has grown from 1,000 acres in size to 3,864 acres. It is located approximately 11 miles north of Keller. No percentage of containment has been reported and the Ferry County Forest Service stated the fire is uncontained.
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The Easy Fire, burning 58 miles northwest of Omak, remains 0% contained while growing to 397 acres in size. State Route 20 had to close in both directions between Granite Creek and Easy Pass trailhead earlier this week due to the fire.
The Swawilla Fire started by lightning strike July 17, has burned 30,000 acres with no containment reported. The fire is located 11 miles east of Grand Coulee.
Contributing: Frank Sumrall, MyNorthwest; Aaron Granillo and Sam Campbell, KIRO Newsradio
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