MEDICAL LAKE, Wash. — A devastating wildfire that destroyed the town of Medical Lake last summer was caused by sparks from an Inland Power light, according to a report from the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
The report obtained by KREM 2 states the Gray Fire started because of an arcing wire on an Inland Power outdoor security light. Investigators found sparks from the light reached a patch of grass, lighting the fire that burned more than 11,000 acres, destroyed 240 structures and took the life of one person.
Additionally, DNR said Inland Power was aware of the malfunctioning light before the fire started.
According to the report, on Aug. 18, 2023, the day the fire started, a person living near where the fire began said she'd called Inland Power multiple times months before to address concerns about the outdoor light. She said she noticed the light flickering and was worried a wire was possibly loose. The person told DNR, to their knowledge, a utility crew did not respond to the concerns.
That woman, along with a separate witness, said they saw sparks coming from the pole near the security light shortly after the fire started, according to the report.
After speaking with witnesses, DNR said one of the incident commanders reached out to Inland Power to discuss evidence collection. The incident commander asked Inland Power to send a representative to the origin of the fire to help remove the security light. Instead, the report said the attorney representing Inland Power told fire crews that the light had already been disconnected. The attorney also told crews to reach out to him for anymore information regarding the origin and cause investigation, according to the report.
A crew from Inland Power eventually showed up and removed pieces of the security light, including approximately five feet of connecting conductor wire, which DNR took as evidence. Upon inspection, DNR said it looked like the wires from the security light and the conductor didn't fit together; it appeared "there might be something missing to make these connections."
When asked about possible connecting pieces, Inland Power's attorney Scott Cifrese told DNR investigators the crew that disconnected the light August 18 brought back three pieces to the Spokane office. One investigator reviewed and photographed those pieces August 19. The report shows Inland Power and its attorneys agreed to keep the three items as evidence for DNR after sending them to a California lab for examination by the company's experts.
October 9, after several attempts to pick up the evidence, the investigator writes he was able to meet Cifrese at the Spokane office, where he was able to look at an unopened box sent back from the lab.
"I opened the box and observed two pieces of evidence. The conductor wire assembly (black insulation) and the conductor wire assembly with melted aluminum wires (white insulation). The single piece (approximately five inches long) of aluminum conductor, with one end having cut marks and one end having melted aluminum, was not in the box," the investigator wrote.
The lab reported only two pieces had been sent for examination.
"Mr. Cifrese told me he had no idea what had happened to the missing conductor piece but that he would look for it in his office and if he found it, he would ensure that the DNR would regain custody of it," the investigator wrote.
With the evidence collected and the investigation ongoing, the report said DNR crews were able to rule out any possible fire causes "except for sparking at the security light on the Inland Power Pole."
Inland Power caused devastating Gray Fire, Washington DNR says
In September, two lawsuits were filed against Inland Power for allegedly sparking the Gray Fire. One complaint, filed by Eymann Allison Jones, P.S., claims eyewitnesses saw the light "flickering or otherwise not properly functioning" for months leading up to the fire. Following complaints, Inland Power replaced the outdoor light and performed work on the wiring from nearby electrical equipment.
An eyewitness cited in the complaint said on the day of the Gray Fire, they reported seeing "sparks or molten/burning material" coming from the outdoor light and nearby electrical equipment.
DNR investigators collected the outdoor light for further inspection, according to the lawsuit.
More to Every Story: How DNR Investigates Wildfires
KREM 2 spoke with DNR about these wildfire investigations at the state level and how crews determine the exact point of origin, especially in a wildfire that moved as quickly as the Gray Fire.
Thomas Kyle-Milward, a communications consultant with DNR, said the department tries to dispatch fire investigators to a fire the same day it starts. This is done to protect the origin of the fire.
He added investigations like these support efforts in evolving wildfire suppression, community resilience and public information.
Watch Whitney Ward’s full interview with DNR using the player below:
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