just one mile west of my residence in the Scabland pines, near Cheney, Washington. Local police knocked on my door around 1:30 pm PDT and ordered my evacuation, so I grabbed my camera gear and chased the story.
Tinder dry conditions in the rangelands and ponderosa pine forests in rural eastern Washington are easily ignited mid-summer, but the cause of this fire remains unknown at this time.
The Air Tractor AT-802 in the Fire Boss configuration with pontoons, capable of carrying 820 US gallons of water.
Water drop underway with nearly 7,000 pounds of weight loss on the airframe.
Mopping up hot spots after the air drops.
