Eastern Washington members of Congress offer support for Medical Lake, Elk fires

WASHINGTON – The lawmakers who represent Eastern Washington in Congress offered their support and condolences over the weekend to the Spokane County communities devastated by wildfires.

After sweeping through Medical Lake and destroying at least 185 structures on Friday, as of Sunday afternoon the Gray fire had burned more than 12,000 acres and was only 10% contained, according to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. The Oregon Road fire had burned more than 9,000 acres and destroyed dozens of homes near Elk in northern Spokane County.

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Spokane, visited Medical Lake on Saturday with Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels and County Commissioners Mary Kuney and Al French. She planned to attend a community dinner Sunday evening in Elk.

“My heart breaks for those who have lost everything in the fires devastating large portions of Spokane County,” McMorris Rodgers said in a statement Sunday. “My team and I continue to monitor and receive regular updates on the situation, and I remain encouraged by the impressive and coordinated response of our city and county officials, fire and police departments, and Washington State DNR. We will be ready to do everything we can at the federal level to help communities rebuild as the next steps in our long road to recovery become clear.“

Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said the blazes were a reminder of a dangerous wildfire season.

“I will continue to work with federal agencies and state, local and Tribal governments to make sure wildland fire crews have what they need to fight fires this season and communities impacted by wildfires have what they need to recover,” Cantwell said in a statement Saturday. “My thoughts are with the Medical Lake community and all communities in Spokane County as they face this dangerous and devastating fire.”

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said she was closely monitoring the fires and would work to get whatever support from the federal government the Eastern Washington communities need to recover.

“I am thinking of the Medical Lake community and everyone in and around Spokane County – and I am deeply grateful to the Washington state firefighters and other emergency responders who are working to keep everyone safe,” Murray said Sunday in a statement. “This is yet another heartbreaking reminder that we are confronting yet another dangerous wildfire season – I will continue to do everything in my power to ensure Washington state and our local communities have the federal resources they need to prevent and fight these wildfires in the face of a worsening climate crisis.”

The fires came as communities across the United States were reeling from – and bracing for – a series of natural disasters. Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall south of San Diego midday Sunday, just as a magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck north of Los Angeles.

On Monday, President Joe Biden will visit the Hawaiian island of Maui, where a wildfire devastated the town of Lahaina on Aug. 8, leaving at least 114 dead and nearly 1,000 people unaccounted for as of Sunday.

The federal government is likely to play a role in recovery efforts in Elk and Medical Lake.

Gov. Jay Inslee would need to request that Biden declare a major disaster, which could result in federal assistance for recovery efforts.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved on Friday a federal assistance grant to fight the fires.