Palmer fire Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Eastern Washington Residents Praise Facebook Group For Connections During Trying Fire Seasons

By Courtney Flatt October 15, 2020

The Palmer Fire in Okanogan County, southwest of Oroville, seen from the Aeneas Mountain Lookout Tuesday evening, Aug. 18, 2020. Smoke from a fire in nearby British Columbia is also visible.

At around 18,000 members, the Okanogan Highlands Fire Watch group continues to provide what members call valuable and lifesaving information. People post evacuation notices, fire maps and recovery resources throughout fire season. Daniel Pratt started the group in 2015 during another particularly bad fire season for Okanogan County.Read More

Windy, Dry Weekend Ups Wildfire Potential, As Crews Watch How Palmer Fire Lines Will Fare

By Courtney Flatt August 28, 2020

A dry cold front is expected to push into central and eastern Washington this weekend, bringing with it lots of wind from the north. That could fan the flames of fires, especially new starts that are just taking off. Winds could reach 15 to 25 miles per hour, with gusts around 40 miles per hour.Read More

Crews Look Toward Containment For Palmer Fire, Using ‘Ping Pong Balls’ To Fight Fire With Fire

By Courtney Flatt August 24, 2020

Fire crews were in the town of Loomis, on the Palmer Fire's southwestern edge, Aug. 22-23. The conducted burnout operations to help clear fuel. CREDIT Alan Lebovitz/WA DNR

Crews have fought fire with fire to help secure the containment lines. One method you may not have heard of uses ping pong balls and helicopters. They’re officially called PSDs, or plastic spherical devices.Read More

Crews Optimistic For Getting Upper Hand In Palmer Fire; Nearby Camera Lookout Assists The Fight

By NWPB News August 24, 2020

A plane drops water over the Palmer Fire in Okanogan County, Wash., Aug. 20, 2020. CREDIT: Eric Risdal/USFS/InciWeb

The fire grew fast when it first started Tuesday, Aug. 18, quickly becoming the top priority in the state. Fire managers said Sunday night they were really pleased with the progress. Crews did burnout operations over the weekend, a method of basically fighting fire with fire.Read More

Crews Attack Fast-Moving Palmer Fire In Okanogan County, Eyeing Northward Growth Toward Border

By Courtney Flatt August 20, 2020

The Palmer Fire, burning in timber, brush and grasslands southwest of Oroville, began Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. It prompted numerous evacuations for residents in the area that has multiple lakes and recreation destinations. CREDIT: InciWeb

Firefighters are working to contain a large fire in north-central Washington. So far, the Palmer Fire has burned at least 6,000 acres and forced evacuations as winds pushed flames forward. It’s expected to grow, pushing north toward the Canadian border, in the coming days.Read More

Okanogan County Fire Grows; Inslee Declares Emergency Exactly 5 Years After Twisp Firefighters Killed

By NWPB News August 19, 2020

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee declared a statewide emergency Wednesday to help with fires burning in on the Olympic Peninsula and in central and eastern Washington. Read More