After igniting just west of Jacob Williams Winery near Wishram late on Aug. 26, the Avery Fire jumped State Route 14 and continued spreading in the hills above until crews contained it at roughly 300 acres. All evacuation notices were lifted by the morning of Aug. 27.
After igniting just west of Jacob Williams Winery near Wishram late on Aug. 26, the Avery Fire jumped State Route 14 and continued spreading in the hills above until crews contained it at roughly 300 acres. All evacuation notices were lifted by the morning of Aug. 27.
Nathan Wilson photo
The Avery Fire burn scar, as seen from Spearfish Park in Dallesport on Aug. 29.
WISHRAM — As students traversed an inflatable obstacle course and enjoyed root beer floats inside Wishram High and Elementary School last Wednesday evening, Superintendent Tye Churchwell got word that a grass fire sparked about five miles west, just south of State Route 14.
Shortly after 5 p.m., the Wishram Fire Department No. 11 sent out an urgent request for mutual aid, and Churchwell was already sending volunteer firefighters on staff out early. Before the open house ended, the Klickitat County Department of Emergency Management placed Wishram Heights under Level 2 “Be Set” evacuation orders.
Those notices rose to Level 3 around 8:15 p.m., with Wishram at Level 2 just over an hour later. The Avery Fire had grown to roughly 300 acres, according to WildCAD dispatches reported on Watch Duty. It started right next to the Avery Recreation Area and in-lieu fishing site, and Jacobs Williams Winery.
“I’ve got 30 years of experience,” said Churchwell. “I was talking to my principal. He’s got almost 30 years in the business, and we’ve had to shut down schools before, but we’ve never had to shut down school on the first day.”
With families leaving the area and State Route 14 temporarily closed in both directions between Avery Road and the interchange near Maryhill, canceling wasn’t a very difficult choice for Churchwell, who was also preparing to evacuate Wishram in school buses if needed. Thankfully, firefighters quickly corralled the blaze and evacuation notices got reduced around 12:15 a.m. last Thursday, the morning of Aug. 27.
No structures were damaged by the fire, but the cause is still being investigated, according to Klickitat County Emergeny Manager Frank Hewey.
“I want to give a big hats-off to all the first responding agencies,” Churchwell said. “Our local Klickitat County police and state police were right on the ball, right in communities, helping out and making sure people were getting out.”
The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Forest Service, Washington Department of Natural Resources and several local departments, including Lyle, Bingen, Dufur, Trout Lake and many more, all helped snuff the Avery Fire out.
By 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, all evacuation orders had been rescinded, and Wishram students returned for their first day of the school year on Friday, Aug. 28.
“We welcomed all our kiddos back this morning; had a great, big first-of-the-day assembly with all of them,” Churchwell said. “Lots of smiles, lots of happy faces. It’s great — it’s almost like yesterday didn’t happen.”
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