205 W 5th Ave Ellensburg, WA 98926-2887
Monday - Friday 8 AM - 5 PM
Kittitas (pronounced 'KITT-i-tass') County is located in central Washington State. It spans from the lush forested Cascade Mountains to the upper Yakima River Valley plains and the Columbia River.
Kittitas County, WA - 07/19/2014 - The Saddle Mountain Fire continues to burn southeast along the Columbia River in the area of Huntzinger Road and the Auvil Fruit Company Saturday morning. The Kittitas County Emergency Operations Center closed Huntzinger Road at the junction of I-90 down to the Priest Rapids Dam area, with the entire area under a Level III Evacuation Notice since Friday night.
Huntzinger Road will remain closed due to debris and slope stabilization concerns. Kittitas County Public Works is currently assessing the roadway conditions. Originally 69 people were stranded at the Auvil Fruit Company, however, 53 of those people either self-evacuated or were escorted out by law enforcement via Huntzinger Road. Sixteen people remain in place at Auvil Fruit as of today. The EOC emphasizes that these people are not trapped and the fire threat in their immediate vicinity is minimized. The Red Cross set up a shelter at the Kittitas High School, where 18 evacuees are now staying until it is safe to return to the Auvil area. No injuries have been reported at this time. Three structures have been confirmed lost in the Getty’s Cove area, with two or three additional structures reportedly lost in the Auvil area. Of those six structures, three are reportedly primary residences. Fire management is being handled by a Unified Command, including the Yakima Training Center, BLM, Grant County PUD, Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State Patrol, Kittitas County fire districts 1, 2, 4, 7 and 8.
Kittitas County, from the Cascades to the Columbia, and online at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us
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Contact: Please contact Kittcom at 509-925-8534.