VANCOUVER, Wash. (KOIN) — It’s not what families expect to deal with in mid-October.
But currently, dry grass is fueling the Nakia Creek Fire burning on government land on Larch Mountain.
Roads are closed and there’s concern that the fire is getting uncomfortably close to some homes.
Officials say the fire was human-caused.
“Since there was no lightning in the area, it was human-caused, which can be from power lines, equipment, campfire, etc. We just don’t know yet. We need to investigate to find the cause,” said Janet Pearce, Communications Manager at the Washington State Department of Natural Resources
Fire officials say that the fire is 10% contained and has grown to 250 acres.
Evacuation notices haven’t changed as of Tuesday afternoon. The 911 center sent out Level 3 Go Now evacuation notices Monday but said there were no homes within those Level 3 areas.
There are, however, about 14 homes and businesses currently at Level 2 Be Set and a little more than 200 homes currently at Level 1 Be Ready.
A Washington Department of Natural Resources Type 3 Command Team showed up Tuesday and brought in 90 firefighters and two helicopters providing air support.
Eric Peterson and his wife, Amity, own an exotic sports car collection that’s just a few miles outside the Go Now zone. Nine years ago the couple founded Dream Drives for Kids, a non-profit organization that takes children undergoing treatment for diseases such as cancer and their parents on joyrides.
“It turns out that going for a ride in a Ferrari or a Lamborghini is a lot more fun than getting chemotherapy treatment. We’re able to share them with children and families at a real time of need” said Peterson, who also said most of the children they serve are referred by Doernbecher’s Children’s Hospital, Shriner’s or the Ronald McDonald House.
Peterson said if they get a Go Now notice, he’s not sure they can take the fleet.
“We’re still what we feel like is pretty far outside the fire zone, but the lesson of Eagle Creek is that if the winds come up fire moves very quickly,” Eric said. “The problem we’ll have if we have to evacuate is that trying to evacuate a half dozen exotic sportscars is probably going to be more difficult and more of a distraction and we don’t want to be a distraction to the folks trying to protect our houses and our neighborhoods. So, we’re not 100% sure what to do at this point, we’re really just hoping for the best.”