Firefighters responded to two wildland fires in just three days in the past week, when strong winds whipped up burning brush piles, quickly igniting dry vegetation nearby. Fire crews contained a fire on the Twisp-Winthrop East County Road at less than 1 acre on Thursday (March 19), although access to the upper field was complicated, […]
Fire
‘Our turn to be humble’
After house fire, giving couple accepts the generosity of others “Within a couple minutes the whole shed went up as sort of an explosion. Almost immediately, it caught the corner of the house on fire.” – Neighbor Eric Vonder Reith Mark Tesch and Michelle Jerome lost just about everything. A fire that started in the […]
Sales tax hike would fund emergency response upgrades
Countywide proposal on November ballot Editor’s note, Aug. 2, 2019 — This story has been updated to correct the annual expenses of financing the upgrades. Okanogan County police, firefighters and EMS have to wait their turn for a free radio repeater to talk to each other or to dispatch. That’s the situation the Okanogan County commissioners […]
Former Twisp fire chief charged with arson
Mark Seguin, 62, arrested after a five-month investigation A man who once served as Twisp’s fire chief faces arson and other charges related to a Feb. 11 fire at his Burgar Street house, according to Twisp police. Mark Seguin, 62, pleaded not guilty Monday (July 29) before Okanogan Superior Court Judge Christopher Culp. Seguin’s trial […]
Forest Service evaluating fire-related road, trail closures
Local U.S. Forest Service officials this week were evaluating road and trail closures in areas impacted by the Crescent Mountain and McLeod fires, to determine where and when the closures can be lifted.
“We anticipate that very soon we will bring everything [closures] back to the fire perimeter area,” said Chris Furr, Methow Valley district ranger.
Prescribed burning planned on over 5,300 acres across eastern Cascades
Starting this month, fire managers plan to begin prescribed burning on 5,300 acres of U.S. Forest Service land on the east slope of the Cascades, with almost half of the total amount of acreage in the Methow Valley Ranger District.
Fewer acres may be burned if conditions are not favorable, said Rob Allen, forest fire staff officer with the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.
Fire crews working on ‘suppression repairs’ in burned areas
Crews using heavy equipment are focusing on repairing more than 160 miles of fire lines created in the fight to keep the Crescent Mountain and McLeod fires from advancing on residential areas. Called “suppression repair,” the effort involves restoring land that has been disrupted by heavy …
Twisp River Blues
By JoAnn Metzler I wish that this fire was done, It hasn’t been very much fun. The smoke and the ash and the haze make for long indoor days. Yellow shirts scope out our place, declare it defensible space. We stare out the windows and grieve, but it’s just too hard to leave. Gotta run […]
Resources scaled back for Crescent Mountain, McLeod fires
Firefighters make good progress, weather cooperates The Crescent Mountain and McLeod fires were moving into demobilization mode early this week, although fire crews were continuing to strengthen fire lines and aircraft were providing water and retardant drops in a few active parts of the fires. Only a week ago, the fires were considered the top […]
Brush fire put out at United Methodist Church
By Marcy Stamper Several engines from Winthrop and Twisp responded to a brush fire at the Methow Valley United Methodist Church that got out of control when winds picked up Monday afternoon (April 9). Wind was pushing the fire toward Highway 20 when crews arrived and quickly extinguished it. The fire had scorched a 100-by-100-foot […]
