Rock Lake area fires extinguished

EWAN - Volunteer firefighters from across the county were pitted against two wildfires this past week, successfully extinguishing both with the help of state fire services.

On Thursday, Aug. 11, volunteers from Rosalia's Whitman County Fire District 7 were tasked with investigating the source of smoke coming from the Hole in the Ground area north of Rock Lake.

At around 2:15 in the afternoon, responders located a growing fire burning in timbered rocky terrain, which Rosalia Fire Chief Laura Lautenslager says made access difficult.

"Quite a few of the areas were only accessible by pasture or ol...