Lower Granite Fire in Garfield County burned two homes, several outbuildings after igniting Monday

The Lower Granite Fire burning north of Pomeroy made a significant run to the east Monday, burned two homes and several outbuildings.

James Cleveland, chief of the Garfield County Fire District, said the fire may be as large as 20,000 acres but that estimate may include unburned areas. Isabelle Hoygaard, a spokesperson for the Northeast Washington Incident Command Team 1, said infrared mapping that is happening today will give fire managers a more accurate estimate of its size.

Cleveland said one of the homes burned was occupied and one was unoccupied. One person suffered minor burns when the tractor he was operating caught fire. Cleveland said the tractor caught fire on its own and was not a direct result of the wildfire.

He said the fire started Monday next to a structure on Deadman Road. Crews from his department responded and initially worked on the structure; crews that followed tried to arrest the fire’s spread.

“It literally just outran them,” he said.

Crews from fire departments in Asotin County, Clarkston, Pullman, Walla Walla and Columbia County provided mutual aid. State mobilization was declared and the Type 3 Team that Hoygaard is a part of took command of firefighting efforts this morning. The team is working out of Pomeroy High School.

Cleveland said local landowners and farmers using discs also responded to the blaze and fertilizer companies provided water trucks. The farmers used their equipment to cut fire lines in farm fields at the tops of canyons.

Hoygaard said the farmers and firefighters were successful in getting some lines established but it will be a challenge to build lines down into the steep river canyons and side draws.