Charges filed in 2016 Wawawai fire

Prosecutor Matt Newberg of Garfield County reported charges were filed in district court there Monday against three suspects who allegedly were responsible for starting the Aug. 2 fire along the Snake River. Charged with reckless burning in the second degree were Isaiah Webgerk, Blake Rogers and Jonathon Whitley, all of Pullman.

The charge is a gross misdemeanor punishable by up to 364 days in jail and $5,000 in fines.

The fire, which began Aug. 2, reportedly swept across more than 11,000 acres in Garfield and Whitman counties. Accounts at the time said suspects were believed to have started a fire on the Garfield County side of the river. Strong winds in the river canyon blew embers across the Snake River and ignited the Whitman County side near Granite Point.

The fire moved up from Granite Point and entered Wawawai Canyon.

The three suspects are scheduled to appear in Garfield County District Court April 13.

Property owners on this side of the river have been contacted about the losses they sustained in the fire. Newberg’s report said they believe they have contacted most of the property owners and tenants about the losses they have sustained. Those not contacted are encouraged to call him in Pomeroy at 843-3082.

A report by Whitman County Sheriff Brett Myers Aug. 3 said they were looking for adult males in their early 20s who were reported to have used a raft to cross the river from the Whitman County side and camp on the Garfield County side of the river. They were believed to have camped Monday night in the area where the fire started in heavy winds the next day.

When fire began to ignite this side of the river, Emergency Management Director Bill Tensfeld requested each fire district in the county send at least one truck to the scene along Wawawai Canyon. Colton District 14 and neighboring districts sent most of their trucks to the scene.

The fire later qualified for a state response and crews from all over the state and state resources, including airplanes and helicopters, were used to put out hot spots in the days after the initial fire fight.