Property owners sue over wildfires in Washington and California

Two lawsuits are being threatened over separate wildfires in Washington and California.

Poinsettia Fire

About two dozen landowners are suing a golf course over last summer’s Poinsettia Fire in Carlsbad, California. The lawsuit that was filed in San Diego Superior Court blames Omni La Costa Resort & Spa LLC for the May 14 wildfire that destroyed five homes, 18 apartment units, one commercial building, and 600 acres on May 14 in Carlsbad, California.

As we wrote on October 19, a fire investigator has determined that a golf club striking a rock is one of the possible causes for the fire which started near a cart path on the 7th hole on the resort’s golf course.

Carlton Complex of fires

In central Washington 65 landowners filed tort claims Friday against the state’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) over the management of the Carlton Complex of fires.

Below are excerpts from an article at King5:

…”We represent mom and pops, cattle ranchers, apple farmers, (and) business owners,” said Brewster attorney Alex Thomason, who filed the legal paperwork in Olympia.

Even before the smoke from the fires had cleared this summer, complaints from landowners started to echo through the Okanogan region.

“They sat over there in the field and watched and took pictures,” Kim Maltias told KING 5 on July 28.

Thomason says some of his clients believe that DNR allowed the fires to grow bigger so that they would receive more state funding.

“The DNR firefighters call this ‘God money.’ It’s an unlimited amount of resources, so they get access to that money by letting the fire get bigger and bigger,” said Thomason.

The tort claims accuse DNR of negligence for failing to protect the properties from the wildfires.

“In the very beginning, DNR stood by and did nothing. They let this fire grow and grow and grow,” said Thomason.

Thomason says some of his clients believe that DNR allowed the fires to grow bigger so that they would receive more state funding.

“The DNR firefighters call this ‘God money.’ It’s an unlimited amount of resources, so they get access to that money by letting the fire get bigger and bigger,” said Thomason.

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Carl.

Video of of the Carlton Complex of fires in Washington

Carlton Complex, Methow Fires. from BROTHERDOUG on Vimeo.

Doug Irvine describes this beautifully shot video:

I was recently in the Methow Valley on a personal project, documenting the Carlton Complex Fire. The Valley is my home and where the towns of Twisp, Winthrop, Carlton, and the like, are located. The night I drove in to begin filming the night skies of the Carlton Complex, the Rising Eagle Fire had just broken out. This particular fire was close to home, you might say. That’s the road my family named back in the 80’s. Rising Eagle Road is where I grew up;its my old back yard. That hill was my brother’s and my playground, a place of wonderment, motorbiking, guns, army, snowmobiles, camping, you name it… valley life. I crossed into the blackness, smoldering fires and ash about 4am to walk my old trails and see what had become of my old friend, the hill. I hope my documentation of the Carlton Complex and surrounding Methow fires inspires and moves you in some way. -Doug Irvine

Impressive photo of a fire in Washington

This photo of a fire in Washington, taken recently by Michael Stanford, reminds us of the famous photo of the elk in a stream next to a fire, shot by John McColgan a number of years ago.

Click here to see a larger version of the photo.

 

UPDATE: Carlton Complex fire mostly contained, hundreds of homes lost

UPDATE 3 p.m. MDT: The Okanogan County Sheriff is now estimating that at least 300 homes were destroyed by the Carlton Complex fire, according to Inciweb. That number is double the initial estimate of 150.

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The massive Carlton Complex fire in north-central Washington was declared 55 percent contained this week as cooler temperatures and rain gave fire crews a reprieve from two weeks of hot, dry conditions..

The fire has burned 250,489 acres — that’s nearly 400 square miles — and is believed to have destroyed hundreds of homes. At least 7,000 residents in Okanogan County are still without power after the fire; efforts to restore power have been stymied by rain, The Seattle Times reported. Power was expected to be restored in some areas by Friday. 

Take a look at aerial photos of the fire’s destruction

Nearly 3,000 personnel have been assigned to the complex, which is made up of four lightning-started fires that ignited on July 14. The fire has become the largest in state history — surpassing the Yacolt Burn of 1902, which killed 38 people and burned more than 230,000 acres. The Carlton Complex has triggered a federal disaster declaration, which will allow the state to access aid funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

There are reports that at least one firefighter has been injured — he suffered second degree burns on his leg after he stepped in a hole filled with hot ash. At least one person, 67-year-old Rob Koczewski, died of a heart attack while digging line around his home to protect it from the fire. 

Carlton Complex fire perimeter.
Carlton Complex fire perimeter.

The Chiwaukum Complex, just to the southwest of the Carlton, ignited on July 15 and is made up of three fires that have collectively burned around 12,255 acres. It is 25 percent contained.

Although that fire has not been as destructive as the Carlton Complex, it got a lot of attention when it first ignited two weeks ago, and sent up a massive smoke plume that could be seen from Seattle.

 

President declares disaster in Washington state

President Barack Obama declared a federal state of emergency for Washington state, where the massive Carlton Complex fire has burned almost 400 square miles and continues to burn despite cooler temperatures and rain in the area.

The fire has already destroyed more than 150 homes — some reports say 200 — including almost the entire town of Pateros, one of many towns in the north-central Methow Valley affected by the fire.

The disaster declaration will open the door to Federal Emergency Management Agency aid and post-disaster funding, The Associated Press reported.

The Carlton Complex, which was ignited by lightning on July 14, has become the largest fire in Washington state history. Having burned more than 250,000 acres, it has surpassed the 1902 Yacolt Burn, which burned more than 238,000 acres and killed dozens of people.

The complex has claimed only one life — that of 67-year-old Rob Koczewski, who died of a heart attack while digging fireline around his home in Carlton.

Four fires make up the complex, which has been burning in severe drought and Red Flag Warning conditions. Hailstorms Wednesday over the fire brought some respite, but also the fear of more lightning strikes.

Carlton Complex fire largest in Washington state history

Map of Carlton Complex fire as of July 21, 2014.
Map of Carlton Complex fire as of July 21, 2014.

The Carlton Complex fire in north-central Washington is now the largest fire in state history, having burned 370 square miles, an area four times the size of Seattle, USA Today reports. 

It has surpassed the 1902 Yacolt Burn, which consumed 238,920 acres and killed 38 people.

Four fires make up the Carlton Complex — Stokes Fire, Gold Hikes Fire, French Creek Fire and the Cougar Flat — all of which were ignited by lightning on July 14. The rapidly spreading fires, burning in a drought year in severe fire weather conditions, have forced residents to flee many small towns in the Methow Valley.

As of Tuesday, the fire has destroyed at least 200 homes. The fire also ravaged the small town of Pateros, where many homes were destroyed and power has been cut off for days.

Only one life has been lost during the Carlton Complex fire, that of 67-year-old Rob Koczewski, who died of a heart attack while defending his home in Carlton from the fire. 

Another large lightning-caused fire, the Chiwaukum Complex, ignited on July 15 near Leavenworth, in central Washington. There are two other fires burning in the complex along with the Chiwaukum Creek fire — the Kelly and Duncan fires.

The complex has consumed around 11,000 acres and when it first ignited, its massive smoke plume could be seen from Seattle.