A combine harvesting wheat appears to be the culprit in the 210-acre Fancher Double fire that started Sunday, Sept. 3 near Medical Lake.
Crews from the Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Land Management, Spokane County Fire Districts No. 3 and 10 along with the Medical Lake Fire Department had the blaze contained later in the day according to DNR spokesman, Guy Gifford.
“It burned in wheat stubble and some timberland,” Gifford wrote in an email. “A large portion of the land is owned by DNR and is being leased for wheat production.”
In addition to the ground crews, the fire was suppressed with the help of two Fire Boss tankers and one helicopter. “Air resources were very effective on the fire with the helicopter dipping out of West Medical Lake and the Fire Bosses out of Clear Lake,” Gifford said.
Three 10-person mop-up crews and three engines were on duty Tuesday making sure there were no flare-ups on the perimeter, or inside the fire lines. They expected to finish that operation on Sept. 6.
The south side of the fire burned against what was called the Fancher Fire of Aug. 1, 2017 and blackened 12.5 acres.
Paul Delaney can be reached at [email protected].
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