MEDICAL LAKE, Wash. — Last August, the historic Gray Fire tore through the community of Medical Lake. It torched thousands of acres, destroyed dozens of homes, and claimed one life.
Nine months later, the chaos has given way to a certain calmness, and the pain in the community has turned to pride.
"We think we’re the crown jewel of Spokane County, actually,” Medical Lake Mayor Terri Cooper said.
She is quick to point out the progress that has been made in the rebuilding process.
"55 total losses in Medical Lake. We had about that many more damaged, but 55 total losses," Cooper said. "We have 40 of those that have walls standing right now, which is incredible; we’re not even at one year.”
THE QUESTION
But what about the lake itself?
Several viewers contacted the Verify team to ask if the water was safe to swim in and recreate following the firefighting efforts. They wondered if fire retardants, debris, or runoff had polluted the water.
Let's Verify.
SOURCES
Terri Cooper, Medical Lake Mayor
Chad Pritchard, Geology Professor at Eastern Washington University and Medical Lake City Councilmember
Steve Cooper, Medical Lake Wastewater Director
THE ANSWER
"It is. It is safe to use,” Cooper said when asked whether Medical Lake was safe to use this summer.
The mayor says her confidence is based on regular lake testing for oxygen and pH levels, total phosphorus, nitrogen, and water temperature.
Steve Cooper, Medical Lake Wastewater Director, said the results have consistently shown the lake to be healthy and safe.
"One of the things we were concerned about was stormwater getting from the houses that were on fire getting washed down the storm drains and getting into the lake,” Cooper said. "Fortunately, that never happened."
As luck would have it, city officials took a water sample from the lake the day before the Gray Fire started, allowing them to compare the results to samples taken after the fire.
"So we were able to sample the lake after the fire and before the fire, and the PFAS for the fire retardant, flame retardant was exactly the same," Chad Pritchard explained. "They poured phosphate, you know, around the lake, and we do see a slight impact of phosphorus in the lake. But it’s well below any levels you’d be concerned about.”
So, we can Verify that Medical Lake is safe and healthy following the Gray Fire.
One less thing to worry about as the community rebuilds and recovers from the historic wildfire.
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