Newell Road Fire

The Newell Road Fire was a wildfire in Klickitat County, Washington, United States.[1] The fire began near Roosevelt at about 3:20 pm Pacific Time on July 21, 2023 and burned 60,551 acres (24,504 ha). It was 100% contained on July 29, 2023. The cause of the fire is still unknown and under an active investigation.[2]


Newell Road Fire
LocationNear Roosevelt, Washington, U.S.
Coordinates45°49′50″N 120°27′32″W
Statistics
Date(s)July 21, 2023 (2023-07-21) – July 29, 2023 (2023-07-29)
Burned area60,551 acres (24,504 ha)
CauseUnder investigation
Buildings destroyedMany homes and structures, exact number being assessed
Map
Newell Road Fire is located in Washington (state)
Newell Road Fire
The fire's location in southern Washington

History

The fire began near Roosevelt, Washington at around 3:20 pm PT on July 21, 2023. From July 26 to July 28, it was the largest wildfire in the United States of the 2023 US wildfire season.[3] On July 29, 2023 the York Fire surpassed the Newell Road Fire as the largest wildfire of that same wildfire season.

On July 29, the fire was 100% contained after it had burned 60,551 acres (24,504 ha).[2]

Cause

The cause of the fire is currently unknown and under investigation.[2]

Impact

A total of 173 single residences, 11 multiple residents, 86 commercial properties and 54 structures were threatened by the fire.[4] Many homes and structures were destroyed by the fire. The exact number destroyed is under assessment.[5][6]

Closures and evacuations

Level 3 Evacuations were issued for areas near the fire, including parts of Old Highway 8 adjacent to the Columbia River along part of the Washington–Oregon state border. Roosevelt Grade Road, Middle Road, Old Highway 8 north to and including Dot Road were closed due to the fire. A 70-mile stretch of State Route 14 was closed between US Route 97 and State Route 221.[7] The Red Cross opened a shelter for people affected by the fire at Goldendale Middle School in Goldendale, Washington.[8] A shelter for animals was also set up at the Klickitat County Fairgrounds.[9]

On July 24, 2023, the state government's request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for a Fire Management Assistance Grant was approved. The grant is intended to help with various firefighting costs.[10]

References
  1. "Incident Table". InciWeb. July 24, 2023. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  2. "Incident Overview: Newell Road". InciWeb. July 24, 2023. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  3. "Incident Table | InciWeb". July 26, 2023. Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. "NWCC :: Home". July 27, 2023. Archived from the original on July 27, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  5. "Single Publication". InciWeb. July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  6. Olson, Karli (July 26, 2023). "200+ structures threatened, homes destroyed in Newell Road Fire near Goldendale". KPTV. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  7. "Newell Road Fire in Klickitat County shuts down 70-mile stretch of SR-14 in both directions". kgw.com. July 25, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  8. "Newell Road Fire now more than 50K acres in Klickitat Co". KPTV. July 22, 2023. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  9. Staff, KOMO News (July 24, 2023). "Newell Road Fire burns 56,100 acres in southern Washington". KOMO. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  10. "FEMA Authorizes Funds to Fight Newell Road Fire in Washington | FEMA.gov". www.fema.gov. July 24, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
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