A fire in south Grant County burned thousands of acres over the weekend and prompted the mobilization of state resources to help fight the blaze
The fire, dubbed the “Lower Crab Creek Fire,” started about 8 p.m. Friday night near Beverly and picked up steam Saturday morning, requiring mutual aid from fire districts around Grant County. The fire reportedly burned mainly sage and grass in areas of steep terrain on the north side of the Saddle Mountains, according to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.
A Level 2 evacuation notice was issued by the sheriff’s office about 7:50 a.m. Saturday morning for people living in the Smyrna community, south of Royal City. The notice was upgraded to a Level 3, which indicated people were in immediate danger and urged to evacuate their homes as soon as possible, about 8:15 a.m on Saturday.
Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste authorized the mobilization of state fire resources about 12:15 p.m. on Saturday, per the request of Grant County Fire District No. 8 Chief David Patterson and Grant County Fire District No. 10 Chief Eric Linn, to aid crews combating the blaze.