SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash – Fire investigators looking into last summer’s Oregon Road fire near Elk, Washington determined that spontaneous combustion sparked the flames that led to the destruction of thousands of acres.
4 News Now received a copy of the Department of Natural Resources investigation report of the fire that burned 10,817 acres and more than 100 homes.
The fire was blamed on spontaneous combustion, as investigators found “cured/dry grasses mixed with seasoned lumber under a clear poly tarp next to creosote treated railroad ties, and a chip pile.”
It’s listed as human caused because all natural fire causes were eliminated.
Despite extensive investigation, they can’t be sure exactly how the fire started.
Investigators say the fire could have been from refraction or magnification from a clear poly tarp over the grasses mixed with lumber OR the railroad ties exposed to heat OR the chip pile.
Ignition and Fast-Moving Flames
The first person to see the fire called 911 from a landline at about 3:15 on August 18th.