Breaking News: Newell Rd Fire Grows to 6,000+ Acres, Historic Dot Grange Hall Reported Lost
Photo Credit: Toni Reeves Wesley
Updated July 21, 2023 10:45 p.m.
Bickleton, WA, July 21, 2023— A fast spreading 6,000 acre fire is raging in Fire District 9 area of Newell Grade/ Newell Road. The fire is reported to have multiple heads. Bickleton Fire, Rural 7 and WA DNR hae responded to the fire.
Multiple evacuations orders have been issued for the area.
A shelter for the evacuations of the Newell Rd Fire is set up at the Goldendale Middle School at 520 E Collins in Goldendale.
EVACUATION MAPS
(click to enlarge)
“Please stay clear of the area so fire personnel can get the fire contained,” read Klickitat County Emergency Management facebook post.
Fire Timeline From Columbia Gorge Wildland & Fire Information Page:
Photo of the fire taken sear Roosevelt Landfill 10:23 p.m. Photo Credit Roger Pearce
10:18pm Skamania County fire sending brush truck, engine and tender which will be used for structure protection
10:10pm Historic Dot Grange Hall has reportedly burned
10:08pm Mutual aid requested from MCF&R and Hood River Fire; however only brush trucks from Skamania County are available.
10:07pm Winds are still very significant further east, so if the fire continues moving in easterly direction, it will pick up more speed due to being carried by wind.
9:25pm Fire reported to be moving rapidly downhill Dot Road.
9:19pm LEVEL 3 EVACUATIONS - to Hwy 14 and East from Rock Creek
9:19pm Wildfire is 6,000 acres and growing. Smoke is affecting air quality in Benton, Yakima and Umatilla Counties.
9:18pm Area west of Roosevelt is now Level 3 (Go Now) evacuations. Additional structure protection resources being requested. Note evacuation shelter change: Shelter for the evacuations of the Newell Rd Fire is set up at the Goldendale Middle School at 520 E Collins in Goldendale
9:10pm Sundale now LEVEL 3 GO NOW
9:08pm Half of structure protection brigade requested for intersection of Ward Road and Dot Road and other half to Roosevelt. 5 County Task Force requested.
8:58pm Klickitat Search and Rescue going door to door for fire evacuations in Roosevelt. Roosevelt is LEVEL 3 GO NOW
8:56pm Fire is apparently in Wood Gulch and working down the hill on other side of Roosevelt. South flank still encroaching towards Roosevelt.
8:45pm Emergency Operations Center being activated as well as reserve officers, posse, and other county workers.
8:36pm Fire is now at Middle Road; Middle Road and Roosevelt Grade now closed.
8:31pm ROOSEVELT NOW LEVEL 3 - GO NOW
8:30pm All-call county-wide for Klickitat County for this fire.
8:25pm Landfill is prepping ground and staging equipment.
8:24pm ROOSEVELT GOING LEVEL 2 EVACUATION (GET SET) - fire is pushing hard east and headed down grade.
8:00pm LEVEL #3 Evacuation West boundary,: Rock Creek road & Bickleton Highway North Boundary, North of Bickleton Highway to Dot road, then South on Dot Road to Newell Road. NE line from there to Just past East Road, then south past the junction with Roosevelt Grade. South Boundary roughly follows Old Highway 8 back to Bickleton Highway west of Rock Creek
7:58pm Reports that the old Dot schoolhouse has burned, along with 2 homesteads
7:50pm NEW evacuation maps added to post
7:49pm There will be shelter set up at the Methodist Church at 109 E Broadway in Goldendale for the evacuation of the Cleveland/Bickleton/Roosevelt Area. Approximate time of opening with be 9:15pm.
7:25pm Strike teams now arriving; Red Cross being contacted to set up evacuee shelter in Goldendale - details TBD
7:18pm Roosevelt is now Level 1 (GET READY)
7:10pm Calling Benton County, WA for mutual aid
7:08pm UPDATES TO LEVEL 3 EVACUATION IN NEW MAP ADDED TO POST. *Update* 07/21/2023 1903. Additional Level 3 "Go Now!' Evacuation. All other areas are still in EFFECT!
7:00pm Water shortage is a problem. Tanker 180 and FGD43 are both on the fire right now. Two more tankers inbound from Redmond, OR. Currently getting water from Roosevelt for tenders.
6:39pm from WA-DNR : New #NewellRoadFire 600 acres and growing, 0 percent contain. Engines and aircraft deployed in partnership with county resources. DNR strike team en route. Type 3 team ordered and mobilizing. Structures threatened. Follow @waDNR_fire on Twitter
6:33pm Fire is coming in hard to the wind farm, south boundary is now Old Highway 8. Plume running low and fast, moving East.
6:30pm East Road is now the eastern boundary for LEVEL 3
6:13pm Dot Road being closed Fire jumped a MILE past Dot road east
6:10pm Fire is now 500 feet past Dot Road heading east
6:07pm Fire south of Newell Road is now pushing east; approaching wind farms.
6:03pm Cattle reported pushing on Dot Road.
6:01pm Unofficial reports that the fire plume has doubled in size.
6:00pm South of Cleveland / Bickleton area is now LEVEL 3 - GO NOW
5:56pm Fire has jumped Newell Road on the north end of the fire.
5:54pm FGD53 and Tanker 180 headed back to Moses Lake for more retardant/ refuel; Tanker 162 and 168 still working fire along with spotter plane.
5:53pm State mobilization of fire resources activated
5:36pm Tankers 162, 168 inbound from Redmond, OR
5:35pm Tanker 158 inbound from Moses Lake, WA
5:33pm Tanker 538 inbound from Olympia, WA
5:32pm Crews taking up defensive on Dot Road for all units; structure protection.
5:24pm Fire is crossing Dot Road
5:23pm North line is Bickleton Highway; east line is East Road
5:20pm Fire has reached Dot Road
5:18pm 2 Super Scooper planes arriving; three Fire Bosses already on scene
5:16 p.m. Level 3 evacuations alert out to East Road (near dump).
5:14 p.m. Fire has three heads; one is burning east towards Dot; and also have reports on fire burning SSE towards Newell Rd. and the other one is burning towards White Creek
4:30 p.m. 4 homes under level 3 evacuation on Dot Rd
WINDS mostly West, although variable in canyon.
