Crews contain wildfire near SR 14 in Washougal
WASHOUGAL, Wash. – Fire crews battled a wind-whipped 50-acre fire near SR 14 Friday night.
They say the fire was started by a tossed cigarette butt possibly from a car. The fire was reported just before 5 p.m.
Camas Fire Department spokesman Nick Swinhart said the fire burned about 100 acres. Crews had it under control at around midnight Saturday.
No one was hurt and no buildings were damaged.
Firefighters protected nearby businesses in the Washougal Industrial Park and treatment plant. Some of those businesses were evacuated as a precaution, according to the Washougal fire chief.
The fire did come very close to the treatment plant. Crews had to really take a stand to save the building because if it burned the city sewage system would have been shut down.
It was tough for crews to get out to the fire because it's in a wildlife refuge area between Highway 14 and the Columbia River. There are no fire hydrants out there and only two roads, making it hard for fire trucks to get close enough to be effective.
Even though the weather has been dry, it is a wetland area and the ground is still marshy. Two fire trucks got stuck and had to be pulled out.
Don't chuck your butt! Â Nearly every charred area you see when you drive down the freeways is caused by a cigarette butt, broken glass or other litter that helps the grass catch fire easier. Â Don't litter!
How do they know it was a cigarette butt already? Â I am just curious, is it that easy to tell what starts a fire when they haven't even put it out yet?
 @coffeelover72 Likely because the area it fell in would already be burned out. Smokers tend to toss butts onto or close to the road where the flammable fuels are limited. Without much to burn, the butt can probably be found and identified.
 @7Ws Oh, thank you! I hadn't thought of it that way; makes perfect sense.  Thanks for not making me feel like an idiot.  I never know what to expect here :) Is the fire out now? Â
Another dumb and careless smoker.
Â
Get the DNA off the trashstick and identify who did it, them with arson and bill them for the damages.
 @Broadway97209 A lot of smokers are real slobs...not all .....but fer cryin' out loud,  there are a LOT!....why do so many just toss butts everywhere on the ground and think it's OK? It's so lazy, trashy, and selfish.
 @whirledworld  @Broadway97209 I have had a few times on I205 where a smoker tossed a cigarette butt on me while riding my motorcycle. It never is fun.
 @Broadway97209 not all smokers are careless! I agree that this one is but don't judge us all...
Saw this an hour ago on my way home. Nasty looking...good luck firefighters. Careful with the wind.