Weekend Ridge Fire Keeps Firefighters Busy

If you spent the weekend relaxing and away from all the heat in the valley you were like most people. It was a different weekend for area firefighters. They were kept busy by a big wildfire in the Moxee area on Friday afternoon. The Desmarais fire near Moxee burned on the ridge between Moxee and Zillah was contained Sunday at 10, 165 acres. The cause is under investigation. Firefighters say the big fire is a sign it’s going to be a long hot summer. Captain Ron Fryer with the Southeast Washington Incident Management Team said a fire of this magnitude is unusual because it's still early in the year. However, Captain Fryer said our area's sage brush and cheat grass are conducive to catching and spreading fire at a rapid speed. "It's a lot like igniting gasoline, it ignites really easy," said Captain Fryer. "So we just need to be really careful when you're out and about doing things. We've had fires start from shooting target practice out in the fields, we've had a lot of those." Firefighters said people also need to be aware of burn restrictions in their counties. According to the Yakima Regional Clean Air Agency, there's currently no burn ban in effect. The cause of Friday's brush fire is still unknown, but firefighters haven't ruled out that it was human caused.