Vehicle ignites on Highway 395

LIND – Volunteer firefighters quickly responded to a vehicle that caught fire in the southbound lanes of Highway 395, about four miles north of Lind Thursday afternoon, July 1.

The vehicle fire had begun to spread to sagebrush and cheatgrass on the side of the highway, just days after a fire torched 2200 acres in the same area.

"It was burning in sage brush about two and a half feet tall, and the flames were about 10 feet tall," Fire Protection District No. 1 Chief Scott Kembel said. "So the first vehicle to arrive on scene attacked the sage brush, and the second vehicle got the car."

Kembel said after being toned out by dispatch at 4:04 p.m., they responded with six vehicles.

"This time of year, you have to be so careful," Kembel said.

The fire was right on the line of the Lind Fire District, and right across the railroad tracks from areas burned Sunday, June 27, in a fire that threatened homes, crops and the WSU research station.

Kembel said they were on scene for a little over an hour, and used 6,000 gallons of water.

"We really wanted to make sure that grass was out, so we put an extra amount of water on it," Kembel said.

A Washington State Patrol Trooper on scene said the vehicle spontaneously ignited, and no one was injured in the fire.

"The vehicle was gutted by the time we got there," Kembel said. "When it's this hot, if there is a crack in an oil or fuel line, and it leaks on the engine - which is super hot - bad things will happen. It'll just start flames right away."

Thirteen volunteer firemen responded along with Chief Kembel, including his assistant chief Lindsey Lefevre, Mark Cameron, Andrew Carlson, Kevin Schaefer, Dan Verhay, Matt Kubik, Kellen Hays, Scott Fannin, Andy Lefevre, Mitch Fodie, Dave Breazeale, Luke McRae, and Ritzville Fire Department Chief Joel Bell.