Firefighters faced the dual challenges of close quarters and large crowds Monday evening as they battled a fire that broke out off an alleyway between Ninth, 10th and Lewis streets.
The fire broke out about 5:30 p.m. in the back yard of the house at 1510 E. Ninth St. and was initially reported as a grass fire. Firefighters that turned out from Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue and the U.S. Forest Service both initially responded with grass fire apparatus, but en route to the fire it was upgraded to a two-alarm structure fire, said Fire Chief Bob Palmer of Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue. Dallesport Volunteer Fire District also responded to the fire.
The owner of the property, Ed Strahm, said he’d been working in his shop — a metal and wood structure filled with thousands of dollars’ worth of tools and equipment — immediately before the fire started.
“Arthritis has gotten me so bad in my back that I can only move around a few hours a day, but I try to take advantage of those hours whenever I can,” he said. “So I was welding some shelves together for a friend and paused for a bit to go inside. It couldn’t have been more than 10 minutes, but by the time I got back, there was already a pretty good fire going back there.”
Just behind what Strahm affectionately referred to as his “hippie van,” an older vehicle he’d taken on many a fishing trip and which he said he’d spent the majority of last summer refurbishing, the fire caught hold in a pile of pulled weeds.
“I was in the back with a garden hose and for a while it seemed like I had a hold on it, but the heat just got to be too much after a while,” Strahm said. “When I saw it hit the brush, I knew for sure it was getting bigger than anything I could put out with a garden hose, and that’s when I called 911.”
The fire had been reported before then, Palmer said. A fire district board member who lives near Strahm and reported the fire.
Strahm said the heat had been so intense and the fire so aggressive, he had to hop the fence to remove himself from harm’s way.
“It got the shed and the van, and it looks like my garden, too,” he said. “Some of the tools might be salvageable, but the van’s gone. I had big plans for the old thing, but it doesn’t look like something I’ll be able to bring back.”
Due to his increasing lack of mobility, Strahm said his finances had been such that he’d recently decided to drop the insurance on the van and several other possessions, but that the shed and all of his tools were also uninsured.
The densely developed block had no alley access so firefighters snaked hoses from hydrants through driveways on Ninth and Lewis.
“It was all real narrow access,” Palmer said.
As neighbors watched and snapped cell phone photos, the fire quickly spread to two aromatic cedar trees near the shed. Later, firefighters who had already shed their turnouts discovered fire smoldering in a garage a short distance from the original fire and went back into action.
Embers were flying around the area from the two trees and Forest Service and Dallesport firefighters were checking around for spot fires.
“Dallesport ended up finding the spot fire in the shed and it was taken care of hastily and quickly,” Palmer said.
At the end of the day, Strahm had lost not only his full shed and van but also a horse trailer that served as additional storage. Several neighboring fences in the area were also damaged. Neighbors were informed during the fire to “keep a good lookout and keep sprinklers out in their back yards,” Palmer said.
Clutter was also a key factor in the fire. The densely packed storage in the area had the potential to result in the fire spreading to other yards and homes in the area.
While firefighters stood by, a tree service was called in to fall one of the cedars that continued to smolder and created the potential for more falling limbs and embers.
Palmer advised homeowners to review their own storage areas to make sure they are not so cluttered and close together that they either inhibit the efforts of firefighters or can promote the spread of fire to neighboring properties.
He also suggested that neighbors make sure dry weeds are cleared away and keep lawns green. He said fire season isn’t over yet and ongoing predicted dry weather could mean ongoing fire potential through the end of October.
Palmer also encouraged welders to maintain a clear space around their operation and to watch the area after welding for at least an hour.
Slag from welding projects can stay hot and sheltered in grass piles, which is what happened in this case, and can ignite some time later.
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