The cause of a fire that destroyed two hangars and aircraft at Bowers Field in Ellensburg on Friday was accidental, according to the Kittitas County Fire Marshal’s Office.
Interim Kittitas County Fire Marshal Josh Hink said an IASCO employee was removing fuel from one airplane when static electricity caught the plane’s fuel on fire, he said. IASCO provides planes and training for Central Washington University aviation students at Bowers Field.
The employee was using a rag to wipe up fuel on the side of the plane, Hink said, when he dropped the rag. He reached down to pick the rag up when static electricity from his movement caught the fuel on fire.