Cigarette thrown from car is cause of Pullman blaze

Aug. 1—Firefighting officials are blaming a discarded cigarette, tossed by a motorist Saturday near the intersection of Terre View Drive and the Moscow-Pullman Highway, for a fire that burned more than a quarter acre in Pullman.

The blaze temporarily threatened buildings and land owned by Washington State University and the U.S. Department of agriculture, according to a news release from the Pullman Fire Department.

Pullman firefighters and Whitman County District 12 were summoned just before noon to a wind-aided wildfire near the busy intersection and they were able to control the fire in 100-degree plus heat before it reached the structures, according to the news release.

A freshly tossed cigarette near traffic lights caused the fire, according to WSU Fire Safety fire investigator Darren Jones. A small patch of grass burned where the cigarette landed before wind carried the embers another 30 to 40 feet and ignited the larger fire, Jones said.

The Pullman fire happened on a day when fire crews were on high alert bracing for high winds, precipitation and potentially more fires after an already hectic season.

Residents in the Dixie/Comstock area remained evacuated because of the Dixie-Jumbo complex 40 miles southeast of Grangeville and 15 miles south of Elk City.

Recreational access to forests continued to be limited.

Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest Supervisor Cheryl Probert closed a section of the popular North Fork Ranger District because of the nearby Swanson Fire.

The forest is closed on the south and west side of Forest Road 247 as it follows the North Fork of the Clearwater River between Aquarius and Bungalow west to the forest boundary. A description of the closed area and map are available at bit.ly/3icDVxE.

Protecting life and property is the goal of the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest and its interagency partners, according to a Saturday update from the Nez Perce Clearwater National Forest.

When multiple new fires start, the priority is to extinguish all new starts, according to the update.

If that isn't possible, resources are shared and directed first to the wildfires that have the potential to damage property, homes and critical infrastructure, which sometimes means diverting resources from existing fires, according to the update.

The Dixie fire increased by 1,020 acres Friday for a total of 42,039 acres. It was expected to move towards the east side of Comstock Saturday or today.

The fire continued to flank along the Salmon River to the south, was in the Tepee Creek area and expected to reach Jersey Creek Saturday or today.

There had been limited movement to the east. Containment lines had been holding along Forest Road 1190/Jack Mountain Road and Forest Road 421 in the Mallard Creek area.

The Jumbo Fire was at about 2,750 acres and zero containment. Boaters on the Salmon River are directed to stop at Whitewater Ranch for updated information prior to continuing downriver.

Fire activity was expected on the north side of the river from Allison Ranch south to Mackey Bar. Camping was open on both sides of the river below the high-water mark, but campers were advised to be alert for rolling, flaming debris on river canyon slopes and potential flash flooding.

The Cougar Rock Complex in Clearwater County, 30 miles northeast of Orofino, continued to be 63 percent contained at 7,427 acres.

Smoke cleared enough Friday to allow single-engine air tankers to make a few retardant drops on the Goat Creek Fire. It appeared to be moderating until 7 p.m. when it made a push to the west and south actively burning until 2 a.m. with reports of occasional torching.

A drone has been assigned to the Goat Creek Fire that can fly in smoky conditions. With regular and infrared cameras, it gives firefighters a real-time, bird's-eye view of conditions on the ground.

Progress was made Friday on other fires in the complex, which includes the Butte Creek and Benton Ridge Fires on Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest lands.

The Snake River Complex, located 20 miles south of Lewiston, stayed at 109,262 acres and 87 percent containment. Crews were mopping up and patrolling existing perimeter control lines Friday. Fire activity inside the control lines increased due to the higher temperatures of being under a thermal belt. Unburned pockets of fuels were actively burning and there was some single tree torching.

The Lynx Fire, 23 miles east of Elk City, was at about 950 acres and grew slightly towards the Northwest on Friday. Firefighters continue to ensure installed structure protection equipment at Warm Springs Bar is operational should it be needed.

The Storm Creek Fire, located 9 miles southeast of Powell, has grown to 11,117 acres. Two dozers and an excavator have been working to widen an existing fire break that proceeds west from the Beaver Ridge Lookout.

The Snow Creek Fire, located 15 miles east and northeast of Kamiah, grew from about 900 to 957 acres.