Five years ago this week, the Carlton Complex Fire raged all around us and the valley reeled from its devastation. The fire was the catalyst for an unprecedented community response. In the July 17, 2019 newspaper on page (B1), we took a look at the results of those recovery efforts. Inside the B section, we […]
Carlton Complex Fire
Taking the long view
Fire preparedness is the new focus for county recovery group Five years after the Carlton Complex Fire destroyed almost 300 houses in the Methow Valley, Pateros and the Chiliwist, the group that helped survivors rebuild and recover is shifting its focus to make sure people are not caught unprepared if — or when — there’s another disaster. “We not […]
Cinder the bear, fire survivor and worldwide inspiration, is dead
Famous bear’s remains found near where she was released after recovery By Ann McCreary Cinder, the young black bear that was badly burned in the 2014 Carlton Complex Fire and underwent almost a year of treatment and rehabilitation before being released into the wild in 2015, is dead. Cinder was saved through the concern and […]
Suit alleging DNR negligence in Carlton Complex Fire is dismissed
The Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the state’s primary firefighting agency, has no obligation to any individual to control wildfire, but only an obligation to the public in general. With that ruling last week, Okanogan County Superior Court Judge Chris Culp dismissed a lawsuit seeking…
Benson Creek watershed gets state water-quality grant
By Marcy Stamper Since the 2014 Carlton Complex Fire and subsequent mudslides, the Benson Creek watershed has struggled with degraded water quality and increased sediment. A state-funded program will begin to address those issues by planting vegetation and getting more-detailed data about the extent of the damage to creeks and rivers. The $250,000 grant, provided […]
Capital budget green-lights local, regional projects
Forest thinning, tree planting, and a new civic building and sports complex in Twisp can finally get moving again with the adoption last week of a capital budget by the state Legislature.
Local long-term recovery groups look back on accomplishments
When people came together to help during the devastating Carlton Complex Fire in July 2014, they were focused on getting food, water and shelter to people who’d lost their homes, not on …
Wildfire research project will examine forest fuels issues
Fire ecologist Susan Prichard of Winthrop has been studying wildfires, and their impacts on forests, for more than two decades. Even so, she was unprepared for the intensity of wildfires she witnessed in the Methow Valley and Okanogan County during 2014 and 2015.
“As a fire ecologist, I …
Living a bear’s life
Cinder, the bear that was rescued as a cub three years ago after being badly burned in the Carlton Complex Fire, is healthy and behaving like any other wild bear after her release two summers ago.
The story of Cinder’s rescue, her long and painful …
Do they hear us now?
Local officials press for better emergency communications net By Ann McCreary In the three years since the Carlton Complex Fire burned 420 square miles in the Methow Valley, knocking out power and disrupting most forms of communication for more than a week, Soo Ing-Moody has become a crusader for improved communications in the Methow Valley […]
