2016 Washington wildfires
{{Short description|Wildfire season in Washington, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox wildfire
| title = 2016 Washington wildfires
| image =
| caption =
| cost = $39,667,371.00
| injuries =
| fatalities = 0
| is_season = yes
| year = 2016
| season_name = Washington wildfires
| total_fires = 1,272
| total_area = {{convert|293,717|acres|ha}}
}}
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.{{Cite journal |title=Monitoring Impacts to Rare Plant Populations from Range 12 Fire - UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON |url=https://portal.nifa.usda.gov/web/crisprojectpages/1012759-monitoring-impacts-to-rare-plant-populations-from-range-12-fire.html |access-date=2022-04-21 |author=University of Washington| journal=Remote Sensing | publisher=USDA }}
{{Cite web |date=2016-08-02 |title=Range 12 Fire: 90 percent contained,176,000 acres burned in Yakima, Benton Counties |url=https://kimatv.com/news/local/range-12-fire-burning-near-sunnyside-hanford-doubles-in-size-to-175000-acres?photo=1 |access-date=2022-04-21 |website=KIMA-TV |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2016-08-01 |title=Range 12 Fire Map: Officials say 70,000 acres burning in Yakima, Benton Counties |url=https://keprtv.com/news/local/range-12-fire-map-officials-say-over-60000-acres-burning-in-yakima-benton-counties?photo=3 |access-date=2022-04-21 |website=KEPR-TV |language=en}}{{Cite book
|title=Nuclear Bodies: The Global Hibakusha
|author=Jacobs, R.A.
|isbn=9780300230338
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fZldEAAAQBAJ
|year=2022
|publisher=Yale University Press
|quote=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.
}} Also of concern were the sheep and cattle killed during the fire.{{Cite news |date=January 26, 2018 |title=$15M lawsuit filed over wildfire that threatened Hanford |work=Tri-City Herald |url=https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/crime/article196986384.html |access-date=2022-04-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180203043614/https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/crime/article196986384.html |archive-date=2018-02-03}}{{Cite web |date=September 6, 2016| last=King|first=Anna|title=Washington State Wildfire Destroys Sensitive Habitat On National Land |url=https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2016/09/06/washington-wildfire |access-date=2022-04-21 |website=WBUR-FM / Northwest News Network |language=en}}{{Cite news
|publisher=Seattle Times
|date=2016-08-04 |title=Yakima area wildfire is 90 percent contained
|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/yakima-area-wildfire-is-90-percent-contained/ |access-date=2022-04-24|language=en-US |url-status=live
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806162323/https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/yakima-area-wildfire-is-90-percent-contained/ |quote=Yakima Herald-Republic |archive-date=2016-08-06}}
Range 12 fire
:main: Range 12 fire
The Range 12 fire was started on July 31 and quickly grew to over {{convert|177,000|acre}}, covering parts of Benton county and Yakima county, before being contained in August.{{cite news |date=August 3, 2016 |title=Range 12 fire 90% contained, 176,600 acres of Yakima, Benton counties scorched |url=http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/range-fire-contained-acres-of-yakima-benton-counties-scorched/article_5ccec802-5982-11e6-9a03-b7e43c3a4024.html |work=Yakima Herald-Republic |accessdate=August 23, 2016}} 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.{{cite news |last=Cary |first=Annette |date=August 6, 2016 |title=Time needed for ravaged Hanford monument ecosystem to recover from third fire |url=http://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article94193832.html |work=Tri-City Herald |accessdate=August 23, 2016}}
Other fires
In late July, two fires in eastern Yakima County and southern Grant County burned more than {{convert|1,500|acre}} before being contained.{{cite news |last=Miller |first=Ryan |date=July 29, 2016 |title=Two East Valley fires strain firefighters |url=http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/two-east-valley-fires-strain-firefighters/article_e80079de-55b3-11e6-8409-a330a1c313aa.html |work=Yakima Herald-Republic |accessdate=August 23, 2016}}
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.{{cite news |date=August 22, 2016 |title=At least 16 homes destroyed in Eastern Washington wildfires |url=http://www.kiro7.com/news/local/evacuations-in-place-for-wildfire-burning-near-spokane/427624955 |publisher=KIRO 7 News |accessdate=August 23, 2016}} By August 22, fires in Spokane County had destroyed 10 homes.{{cite news |last1=Vergara |first1=Matt |last2=Clark |first2=Bre |last3=Loukides |first3=Kaitlin |date=August 22, 2016 |title=Spokane Co. fires destroy 12 homes |url=http://www.krem.com/news/local/wildfire/100-acre-fire-in-ne-spokane-forces-evacuations/304042928 |publisher=KREM 2 News |accessdate=August 23, 2016}} The Hart Road Fire in nearby Lincoln County grew to more than {{convert|1,600|acres}} and triggered the evacuation of nearby residents, and destroyed 11 homes.{{cite news |last=Alexander |first=Rachel |date=August 21, 2016 |title=Fire near Davenport grows to 1,600 acres |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2016/aug/21/Davenport-fire-wildfire-Hart-Road-Wellpinit/ |work=The Spokesman-Review |accessdate=August 23, 2016}}{{cite news |last=Geranios |first=Nicholas K. |date=August 22, 2016 |title=Wildfires in Spokane region grow, destroy more than a dozen homes |url=http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/wildfire-west-of-spokane-doubles-in-size-overnight/ |agency=Associated Press |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=August 22, 2016}}
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.{{cite news |last=Whittenberg |first=Jake |date=August 22, 2016 |title=Olympic Forest wildfires making smoky skies in Western Washington |url=http://www.king5.com/news/local/wildfires/olympic-forest-wildfires-making-smoky-skies-in-western-washington/304980390 |publisher=KING 5 News |accessdate=August 23, 2016 |archive-date=August 23, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160823170952/http://www.king5.com/news/local/wildfires/olympic-forest-wildfires-making-smoky-skies-in-western-washington/304980390 |url-status=dead }}
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.{{cite press release |date=August 23, 2016 |title=Inslee declares emergency in 20 counties due to multiple wildfires, extreme fire conditions |url=http://www.governor.wa.gov/news-media/inslee-declares-emergency-20-counties-due-multiple-wildfires-extreme-fire-conditions |publisher=Governor of Washington |accessdate=August 23, 2016}} Inslee blamed ongoing climate change for creating "explosive conditions" in the state's forests and wild lands, fueling stronger wildfires in recent years.{{cite news |date=August 23, 2016 |title=Inslee declares emergency in 20 counties due to wildfires |url=http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/northwest/inslee-declares-emergency-in-20-counties-due-to-wildfires/ |agency=Associated Press |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=August 23, 2016}}
Another pair of lightning strike fires in the Glacier Peak Wilderness created hazy conditions over Wenatchee to the east.{{cite news |last=Riggs |first=Dee |date=August 23, 2016 |title=Haze likely coming from fire Buck Creek Fire |url=https://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2016/aug/23/haze-likely-coming-from-fire-buck-creek-fire/ |url-access=subscription |work=Wenatchee World |accessdate=August 23, 2016}}
List of notable fires
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/state/49/ Inciweb]
- [http://gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc/information/firemap.aspx NWCC – Northwest Fire Locations]
- [https://gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc/content/pdfs/archives/2016_NWCC_Annual_Fire_Report_FINAL_2017-2-28.pdf NWCC 2016 Annual Fire Report]
{{Washington wildfires}}
{{2016 wildfires}}