The Chronicle

     BREWSTER – State fire assistance has been mobilized for a fire that broke out near here Wednesday and consumed an estimated 2,000 acres by this morning.
     The Fire was reported at 12:27 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 1, in sage, grass and light timber off Crane Road in Douglas County.
     The state Fire Services Resource Mobilization Plan in support of local firefighters was mobilized to contain the fire located across the Columbia River from Brewster.
     Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste authorized the mobilization of state firefighting resources at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday night at the request of Douglas/Okanogan County Fire District #15.
     The cause of the fire is unknown.
     There are approximately five residences threatened by the fire with evacuations in place.
     Mobilization specialists from the Fire Protection Bureau have ordered three strike teams of wildland engines, and a Type 3 Incident Management Team to supplement the resources already fighting the fire.
     On Wednesday, firefighters from Malott, Okanogan, Omak and Methow Valley assisted District 15.
     Omak sent down an engine and eight people who initially fought the fire then provided structure protection of scattered homes in the area, Omak Fire Chief Kevin Bowling said.
     Omak, the northern most crew on the fire, was out 10 hours after being called out at 2:30 p.m.
     Bowling also saw crews from Chelan County and Douglas County as well as other crews from various Okanogan County towns.
     Bowling figures the fire will burn several more days.
     A weather report says winds, which helped whip the fire Wednesday, will continue up to 25 mph today.
     Okanogan was called out at 2:30 p.m. and returned at 12:37 a.m., Fire chief Gordon Hennigs said.
     Okanogan sent an engine, brush truck and eight firefighters.
     Malott sent a tender and two firefighters.
     Okanogan and Malott did structure protection, working several structures on Crane Orchard Road and a side road, Hennigs said.
     The state Emergency Operations Center at Camp Murray has been activated to Phase II, to coordinate state assistance for the Crane Road Fire.
     Personnel from the Office of the State Fire Marshal will be on scene to coordinate dispatch of resources. Other personnel will staff the state EOC.
     Under the State Fire Services Resource Mobilization Plan, the Fire Protection Bureau coordinates the initial dispatch and continued administrative oversight of resources and personnel for the duration of the incident.
     The Mobilization Plan is implemented to provide a process to quickly notify, assemble and deploy fire service personnel, equipment and other resources from around the state when fires, disasters or other events exceed the capacity of local jurisdictions.