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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 - 11/04/2021 - Search teams, dogs and drones are searching for a Seattle Deputy Fire Chief in the Cliffdell portion of Kittitas County.
Kittitas County Sheriff’s Deputies and volunteers with Kittitas Search and Rescue are actively searching for Seattle Fire Department Deputy Chief Jay Schreckengost in the Cliffdell area of Kittitas County, north of State Route 410. Chief Schreckengost texted his family he would be elk hunting in the area when he left his rented cabin near SR 410 on Tuesday, 11/2; but they didn’t receive notification of his return to the cabin that night. The area where Chief Schreckengost was staying and hunting is close to the boundary between Kittitas and Yakima counties; his family notified the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office he hadn’t returned. Yakima determined the area he was hunting in was in Kittitas County, and both Sheriff’s Offices now have resources committed to the search. Chief Schreckengost’s pickup was located on Wednesday and became the epicenter of the search. As of Thursday morning, Search and Rescue coordinators are overseeing seven teams of ground searchers, four K9 search teams, and infrared-equipped drones from both counties. Dozens of volunteers from the Seattle Fire Department have been incorporated into the effort to locate their Deputy Chief. The search is occurring in remote and challenging mountainous terrain with limited, narrow access roads. Search teams need unimpeded access to work most efficiently as they hope to locate the Chief before the onset of expected bad weather this weekend, and ask people not involved in the search to stay clear. Anyone who has any information they believe could help locate Chief Schreckengost is asked to call Kittcom, the unified Kittitas County emergency dispatch center, at 509-925-8534.
Kittitas County, from the Cascades to the Columbia, and online at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us
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Contact: Inspector Chris Whitsettchristopher.whitsett@co.kittitas.wa.us509-962-7615