Fire season continues in Adams County

The Lind and Ritzville fire departments kicked off August with four fires in a span of three days.

On Aug. 1, the Lind Fire Department responded to a stubble fire on Roloff Road. Lind Fire Chief Kevin Starring said the blaze, which stemmed from a combine, burned 200 acres. The fire threatened one structure, but crews put it out before it reached the building.

The Ritzville and Warden fire departments provided mutual aid with a total of 12 vehicles on the scene. A crop duster from GEM Air dumped water on the fire, which Starring said “helped a lot.”

While the Lind Fire Department was cleaning up the Roloff Road fire, they received a call for a fire on Hatton and Wahl roads.

Similar to the previous incident, Starring said a combine was the source of the fire.

The blaze burned less than 50 acres and barn was destroyed. Crews managed to knock the fire down when it reached the shed.

Crews from the Washtucna and Kahlotus fire departments, as well as the McGregor Company provided mutual aid.

“I can’t stress how much mutual aid helps,” Starring said. “It’s amazing how everyone rallies around when they see something like that. We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without our volunteers. As Fire Chief, I’m very appreciative of all it.”

The next morning, the Lind Fire Department sent out a two vehicles to assist the Kahlotus Fire Department with a stubble fire off Rosenoff and Deal roads. Starring said farmers used their disc plows to help contain the fire to less than 50 acres.

On Aug. 4, the Ritzville Fire Department was called to a fire on Providence Road at 2:01 p.m. County Chief Scott Kembel said the department sent five vehicles with nine firefighters to the scene.

Ritzville sent a request to the Lind Fire Department for assistance, but canceled it after they arrived at the scene.

“The farmers had a plow barrier around it and had it knocked down by the time we got there,” Kembel said. “We do appreciate the mutual aid response.”

Kembel added the fire burned about 50 acres and the source “was thought to have started from a combine.”

The Ritzville Fire Department responded to a non-injury car/train collision on Aug. 7 at 11:40 p.m. and were at the scene for two hours.

Ritzville responded to a structure fire on the 400 block of Cherry Avenue at 3:50 a.m. According to Capt. Chad Hoeft, the fire started from a vehicle and burned a portion of the house. The department sent three vehicles with 11 firefighters. Crews returned to the station at 6:37 a.m.

Ritzville returned to the residence in the afternoon for another fire. The department sent three vehicles and eight firefighters to the scene and were at the residence until 2:09 p.m. Hoeft said the fire started in the attic.

“It was smoldering in the insulation and a little of breeze started it,” Hoeft said.