Firefighters responded to a new fire near Rimrock Lake on Tuesday that closed Highway 12 in both directions and prompted evacuation notices around Rimrock Retreat.
Meanwhile, a fire burning north of Selah has grown to 6,500 acres, and a state incident management team is expected to take over.
Retreat Fire
U.S. Highway 12 is closed due to a fire near Rimrock Retreat (milepost 173).
The Retreat Fire was discovered Tuesday burning about 13 miles west of Naches off U.S. Highway 12 toward Rimrock Lake.
As of 6 a.m. Wednesday, the fire was about 2,200 acres, according to WildCad.
A Level 3 — go now — evacuation order is in place for Rimrock Retreat and the area around it, according to Yakima Valley Emergency Management.
That order covers any campers west of Rimrock Retreat, from Tieton Reservoir Road and U.S. Highway 12 to east end of Windy Point Campground, and 5 miles north and 5 miles south on either side of U.S. 12, between Tieton Reservoir Road and Windy Point Campground.
A Level 2 “be prepared” notice is in effect from U.S. 12 at the Bear Canyon trailhead northeast to the “Y,” and from the “Y” south to Cowiche and Tieton town limits to Cowiche Mill Road, and from Cowiche Mill Road westbound to Forest Road 641, and from Forest Road 641 north to Highway 12.
Eastbound traffic is stopped at the summit of White Pass (milepost 151), with westbound traffic stopped at Oak Creek (milepost 183). There is no estimated reopening time, according to the state Department of Transportation.
As of 6:30 p.m., the Naches Fire Department said the fire jumped the highway and the Tieton River and is burning on the south side of U.S. 12 west of Rimrock Retreat.
Camp Ghormley evacuated its campers on Tuesday night, according to the fire department.
State mobilization was approved Tuesday night. The cause is under investigation.
Black Canyon Fire
The Black Canyon Fire in the North Wenas has been burning since Monday, but ground crew and aircraft have been able to prevent 300 structures — including 200 homes — from being destroyed, said state Department of Natural Resources spokesperson Ryan Rodruck.
Level 3 evacuation orders — instructing people to leave immediately — remain in effect, according to Yakima Valley Emergency Management.
The order covers an area from the north side of North Wenas Road from Wenas Lake to Boyd Road, the north side of Boyd Road east to Sheep Company Road and the west side of Sheep Company Road north to the horse trailer parking area on Old Durr Road.
The west boundary is Wenas Lake north to the LT Murray Ridge and the northern boundary is LT Murray Ridge.
The American Red Cross has opened a shelter for those displaced by the fire at the Selah Civic Center.
A Level 2 evacuation order — be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice — is in place for the Wenas and Conrad Ranch areas in Yakima County.
Umptanum Road is closed at Durr Road, according to the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office, which is updating evacuating notices in Kittitas County. A Level 2 notice was in place for Umptanum Road at Durr Road south to the Yakima-Kittitas county line on Monday night.
As of 1 p.m. Tuesday, the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office said the fire was not pushing toward Kittitas County like it was Monday night, but roads in the area will remain closed except to people who live in the area.
The Umtanum footbridge and Bureau of Land Management lands across the bridge are closed. The Umtanum Recreation Site is open.
The fire has burned an area roughly the size of Terrace Heights. Rodruck said an estimate of containment was not available Tuesday afternoon.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
West White Swan Fire
The Federal Emergency Management Agency authorized funding for the fire on the Yakama Nation near Wesley Road and White Swan. Evacuation notices were lifted late Monday night on the fire.
County emergency management Director Tony Miller said that fire response is under the direction of the Yakama Nation.
