Local firefighters called to big battles in two states

Whitman County firefighters are being deployed to fires throughout Washington and Oregon.

Whitman County Emergency Management Director and Rosalia Fire Chief Bill Tensfeld said Tuesday that Rosalia had three trucks and eight firefighters at the Watermelon Hill fire southwest of Cheney over the weekend. He said the rocks in the area hindered firefighters’ efforts as they battled the blaze. He said the firefighters and trucks were called at the beginning of the fire and the last truck arrived back at the station late Sunday night.

Whitman County Commissioner Art Swannack also was fighting the fire. He said he and his fellow firefighters from Lamont were around the Fish Trap Lake Resort area. He also said he heard a rancher lost 200 tons of hay in that area.

Fire District 12 Chief Lester Irwin said that district has one truck and three firefighters in Leavenworth and they have been there for a week. If they come home, they might be deployed back to Pateros by Saturday to do containment and structure protection.

“It depends on the weather,” Irwin said.

When the Carlton Complex fire in north central Washington was at its worst, Irwin said firefighters were working around the clock.

“They try to have them on 12-hour shifts, but when that fire was so bad, they worked for 24 hours,” Irwin said.

That fire still is not contained, he said.

“It might burn until it snows because of the rugged terrain,” he said.

The district also has three firefighters/EMS crews who specialize in fighting wildland fires who are deployed in Oregon.

“We go day-by-day,” Irwin said. “We are watching the weather and we are really scared of those thunderstorms they’re predicting. People just don’t realize how quickly those fires can start.

“Hopefully people will stay safe.”