ROSALIA, Wash. – A brush fire that started yesterday afternoon west of Rosalia continues to burn. The fire is now called the Siegel Fire. Evacuation orders remain in effect for nearby residents.
A Level 3 evacuation is in place for properties south of West Cheney Road and between South Texas Ferry and South Wells Road.
Firefighters from around the state have taken command of the fire. They are working to keep the fire in its original burn area.
“Firefighter safety and public safety is our number one concern,” said Connor Nikkola of the Washington Department of Natural Resources.
High winds, difficult terrain and wildlife are making it hard for firefighters to contain the Siegel Fire. The cliffs around Bonnie Lake where this fire started made it impossible to attack the fire on the ground initially.
“We do have Bonnie Lake that is adjacent to the fire, but it’s difficult because we have the great cliffs and so we can’t get any of the fire trucks, or any of the engines or tankers down there, so we have the engines and different tankers strategically placed around the fire,” Nikkola said.
High winds shifted the fire’s direction dramatically. This made it difficult for firefighters to get in front of it. The winds were so strong yesterday that the fire jumped from one side of Texas Ferry Road to the other side and kept burning up the hill.
The fire is producing smoke that has created health concerns for firefighters and residents.
“With a fire, you always have smoke and the air quality and so that is always a safety factor, as well as all of the other factors around here. We talked about the cliffs, we talked about the other wildlife, rattlesnakes or bee stings. That’s something we’re looking at and trying to prevent,” Nikkola said.
Firefighters have dealt with difficult terrain, high winds, smoke and wildlife like rattlesnakes since the fire started yesterday.
“Today, we’re just really basing off all the work that was done yesterday. Starting on getting that perimeter solidified and then start working internally,” Nikkola said.
“Weather always plays a factor in when we can get in and fight the fire. Today it continues, as you said, windy conditions and so we still have a little bit of wind today. It’s something that we’re actively working through and trying to progress through,” Nikkola said.
“Being situationally aware, marking those hazards as we come across them, making sure its flagged so we don’t have any of our other firefighters coming across it and promoting that safety so we can make sure everybody’s getting out of here ok,” Nikkola said.
A fire investigator arrived this morning. Firefighters continue to investigate the cause but say it is human-caused.
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