2016 Washington wildfires explained

2016 Washington wildfires
Cost:$39,667,371.00
Fatalities:0
Is Season:yes
Year:2016
Season Name:Washington wildfires
Total Fires:1,272
Total Area:293717acres

The 2016 Washington wildfires season were a series of wildfires in the U.S. state of Washington, notable because of brush fires near the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, and because of brush fires near Spokane, Washington.

During the summer of 2016 (in July and August particularly during the Range 12 fire), there was grave concern about the fires in eastern Washington due to the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Benton County, Washington, and about rare and endangered species that may have been affected by the fire.[1] [2] [3] [4] Also of concern were the sheep and cattle killed during the fire.[5] [6] [7]

Range 12 fire

main: Range 12 fireThe Range 12 fire was started on July 31 and quickly grew to over, covering parts of Benton county and Yakima county, before being contained in August.[8] The fire was the third in recent years to affect the area surrounding the Hanford Reach National Monument and the Arid Lands Ecology Reserve, but was contained during the earlier days of August through the use of controlled burns.[9]

Other fires

In late July, two fires in eastern Yakima County and southern Grant County burned more than before being contained.[10]

In August, the area surrounding Spokane, the state's second largest city, was threatened with three active wildfires.

In late August, Wellesley and Yale fires merged to form the Spokane Complex Fire. Mandatory evacuations were ordered for residents in the Moccasin Bay area of Spangle.[11] By August 22, fires in Spokane County had destroyed 10 homes.[12] The Hart Road Fire in nearby Lincoln County grew to more than and triggered the evacuation of nearby residents, and destroyed 11 homes.[13] [14]

A series of lightning strike fires in the Olympic Mountains were visible from the Seattle area and lowered air quality to "moderate" levels as rated by the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency.[15]

On August 23, Governor Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency in 20 of Washington's 39 counties, mostly in Eastern Washington, citing limited local firefighting resources.[16] Inslee blamed ongoing climate change for creating "explosive conditions" in the state's forests and wild lands, fueling stronger wildfires in recent years.[17]

Another pair of lightning strike fires in the Glacier Peak Wilderness created hazy conditions over Wenatchee to the east.[18]

List of notable fires

NameCounty AcresStart DateContained DateCauseNotes
Buck Creek 1,987 Lightning
Deep North 617 Unknown
Hart 18,220 Unknown
Olympic National Park fires 955 Lightning align=left Consisted of four fires: Cox Valley, Godkin, Hayes, and Ignar Creek
176,600 Military exercise Findings of fact in a federal court case document that a brush fire was started by machine-gun fire. [19]
Snake River 11,452 Unknown
Spokane Complex 7,251 Unknown align=left Formed out of Wellesley and Yale Road fires

External links

Notes and References

  1. Monitoring Impacts to Rare Plant Populations from Range 12 Fire - UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON . 2022-04-21 . University of Washington. . .
  2. Web site: 2016-08-02 . Range 12 Fire: 90 percent contained,176,000 acres burned in Yakima, Benton Counties . 2022-04-21 . . en.
  3. Web site: 2016-08-01 . Range 12 Fire Map: Officials say 70,000 acres burning in Yakima, Benton Counties . 2022-04-21 . . en.
  4. Book: Nuclear Bodies: The Global Hibakusha. Jacobs, R.A.. 9780300230338. 2022. Yale University Press. In the summer of 2016, numerous large wildfires threatened to spread across the Hanford Reservation. Most concerning was the Range 12 fire that spread from Grant and Yakima Counties into Benton County, where the sprawling nuclear site is located. The fire threatened to summit Rattlesnake Mountain and spread into the Hanford Nuclear Site itself..
  5. News: January 26, 2018 . $15M lawsuit filed over wildfire that threatened Hanford . . 2022-04-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180203043614/https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/crime/article196986384.html . 2018-02-03.
  6. Web site: September 6, 2016. King. Anna. Washington State Wildfire Destroys Sensitive Habitat On National Land . 2022-04-21 . . en.
  7. News: Seattle Times. 2016-08-04 . Yakima area wildfire is 90 percent contained . 2022-04-24. en-US . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160806162323/https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/yakima-area-wildfire-is-90-percent-contained/ . . 2016-08-06.
  8. News: August 3, 2016 . Range 12 fire 90% contained, 176,600 acres of Yakima, Benton counties scorched . Yakima Herald-Republic . August 23, 2016.
  9. News: Cary . Annette . August 6, 2016 . Time needed for ravaged Hanford monument ecosystem to recover from third fire . . August 23, 2016.
  10. News: Miller . Ryan . July 29, 2016 . Two East Valley fires strain firefighters . . August 23, 2016.
  11. News: August 22, 2016 . At least 16 homes destroyed in Eastern Washington wildfires . . August 23, 2016.
  12. News: Vergara . Matt . Clark . Bre . Loukides . Kaitlin . August 22, 2016 . Spokane Co. fires destroy 12 homes . . August 23, 2016.
  13. News: Alexander . Rachel . August 21, 2016 . Fire near Davenport grows to 1,600 acres . . August 23, 2016.
  14. News: Geranios . Nicholas K. . August 22, 2016 . Wildfires in Spokane region grow, destroy more than a dozen homes . . . August 22, 2016.
  15. News: Whittenberg . Jake . August 22, 2016 . Olympic Forest wildfires making smoky skies in Western Washington . . August 23, 2016 . August 23, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160823170952/http://www.king5.com/news/local/wildfires/olympic-forest-wildfires-making-smoky-skies-in-western-washington/304980390 . dead .
  16. August 23, 2016 . Inslee declares emergency in 20 counties due to multiple wildfires, extreme fire conditions . Governor of Washington . August 23, 2016.
  17. News: August 23, 2016 . Inslee declares emergency in 20 counties due to wildfires . Associated Press . The Seattle Times . August 23, 2016.
  18. News: Riggs . Dee . August 23, 2016 . Haze likely coming from fire Buck Creek Fire . subscription . . August 23, 2016.
  19. Web site: May 21, 2019 . Anderson v. United States, No. 1:18-cv-003011-SAB . 2022-04-25 . casetext.com . from Anderson v. United States, No. 1:18-cv-003011-SAB, (E.D. Wash. May. 21, 2019) "The Army training unit continued to engage in live fire training exercises through the afternoon on July 30, 2016. At approximately 4:40 p.m., one of the Army training unit's soldier's fired a machine gun at a target using tracer rounds. SJF ¶ 74. One of the tracer rounds ricocheted from the target area and landed on some brush, which started a brush fire. Id. The fire spread beyond the YTC and onto Plaintiffs' rangeland properties, causing property damage to Plaintiffs' cattle businesses.".

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