The Newell Road Fire was a wildfire in Klickitat County, Washington, United States.[1] The fire began near Roosevelt at about 3:20 pm Pacific Time on July 21, 2023 and burned 60,551 acres (24,504 ha). It was 100% contained on July 29, 2023. The cause of the fire is still unknown and under an active investigation.[2]
| Newell Road Fire | |
|---|---|
| Date(s) | July 21, 2023 – July 29, 2023 |
| Location | Near Roosevelt, Washington, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 45°49′50″N 120°27′32″W / 45.83056°N 120.45889°W |
| Statistics | |
| Burned area | 60,551 acres (24,504 ha) |
| Impacts | |
| Structures destroyed | Many homes and structures, exact number being assessed |
| Ignition | |
| Cause | Under investigation |
| Map | |
 Perimeter of Newell Road Fire (map data) | |
  The fire's location in southern Washington | |
History
editThe fire began near Roosevelt, Washington at around 3:20 pm PT on July 21, 2023. From July 26 to July 28, it was the largest wildfire in the United States of the 2023 US wildfire season.[3] On July 29, 2023 the York Fire surpassed the Newell Road Fire as the largest wildfire of that same wildfire season.
On July 29, the fire was 100% contained after it had burned 60,551 acres (24,504 ha).[2]
Cause
editThe cause of the fire is currently unknown and under investigation.[2]
Impact
editA total of 173 single residences, 11 multiple residents, 86 commercial properties and 54 structures were threatened by the fire.[4] Many homes and structures were destroyed by the fire. The exact number destroyed is under assessment.[5][6]
Closures and evacuations
editLevel 3 Evacuations were issued for areas near the fire, including parts of Old Highway 8 adjacent to the Columbia River along part of the Washington–Oregon state border. Roosevelt Grade Road, Middle Road, Old Highway 8 north to and including Dot Road were closed due to the fire. A 70-mile stretch of State Route 14 was closed between US Route 97 and State Route 221.[7] The Red Cross opened a shelter for people affected by the fire at Goldendale Middle School in Goldendale, Washington.[8] A shelter for animals was also set up at the Klickitat County Fairgrounds.[9]
On July 24, 2023, the state government's request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for a Fire Management Assistance Grant was approved. The grant is intended to help with various firefighting costs.[10]
References
edit- ^ "Incident Table". InciWeb. July 24, 2023. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Incident Overview: Newell Road". InciWeb. July 24, 2023. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
- ^ "Incident Table | InciWeb". July 26, 2023. Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "NWCC :: Home". July 27, 2023. Archived from the original on July 27, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Single Publication". InciWeb. July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
- ^ Olson, Karli (July 26, 2023). "200+ structures threatened, homes destroyed in Newell Road Fire near Goldendale". KPTV. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
- ^ "Newell Road Fire in Klickitat County shuts down 70-mile stretch of SR-14 in both directions". kgw.com. July 25, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
- ^ "Newell Road Fire now more than 50K acres in Klickitat Co". KPTV. July 22, 2023. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
- ^ Staff, KOMO News (July 24, 2023). "Newell Road Fire burns 56,100 acres in southern Washington". KOMO. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
- ^ "FEMA Authorizes Funds to Fight Newell Road Fire in Washington | FEMA.gov". www.fema.gov. July 24, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2023.