Nassa Point fire closes SR4

The Nassa Point Fire was first reported at 6 p.m. on Friday, July 4, according to Washington State Department of Natural Resources Communications Manager Ryan Rodruck. The fire took place near State Route (SR) 4 milepost 40, according to Washington State Department of Transportation's Southwest Region Communications Consultant Tiffany Mancillas. At around 6:30 p.m. on July 4, the road was closed between milepost 37 and milepost 47.7 and remained closed overnight, reopening around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 6. Spreading to an estimated eight acres, the fire has since been contained, according to Rodruck. The cause of the fire is still under investigation and, as of Monday, July 7, three DNR engines had been assigned to the fire, with the crews "engaged in mop-up operations." According to Mancillas, SR 4 was officially and fully open "with no additional closures" as of approximately 9:15 a.m. on Tuesday, July 8.

Local residents Joe and Mary Waddell, in a letter to The Eagle, expressed their gratitude to the Cathlamet Fire Department for "placing a tanker truck at their residence in order to protect their home," as well as working "long and hard all night and into the next day so that no homes were destroyed." Also expressing praise for those fighting the fire was Cameron Kockritz, who serves as deputy district director for Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03). Relieved to see the fire fully contained, Kockritz said, "I wanted to send a sincere thank you to you and all the first responders that spent their holiday weekend responding to the Nassa Point Fire."