Emergency first responders and fire crews from throughout Southeast Washington are combatting a string of wildfires that were caused by passing thunderstorms on Wednesday morning.
According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture — Forest Service, authorities from the Pomeroy Ranger District are hard at work trying to contain wildfires across the Umatilla National Forest. As a result, authorities have closed Forest Service Road (FSR) 41, FSR 43 and, FSR 44 along with all trails within the closure.
By this point, the Lick Creek Fire has burned over 2,600 acres of National Forest land. Now, that fire has converged with the Dry Gulch Fire, which began on Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) land nearby.