Vantage Firefighter Sacrifices His Home To Save Others
One of the two homes in the town of Vantage that were destroyed Wednesday in a fast-moving wildfire was the residence of a firefighter assigned to the blaze.
Firefighter Benjamin Stockdale lives in Vantage and was part of the crew battling the fire. Stockdale says the decision was made to let his home and another burn in order to protect many other homes from the wind-whipped fire.
No one was injured in the fire, and evacuation levels were lowered Wednesday evening.
The Ryegrass Coulee Fire erupted along the Vantage Highway at around 4:45 p.m. Wednesday and spread rapidly, placing dozens of homes on a Level 3 evacuation notice.
Over 20 miles of I-90 were shut down, along with the Vantage Highway, due to heavy smoke and fire activity. Officials estimate the fire scorched approximately 575 acres and was accidentally caused by a vehicle that was traveling on the Vantage Highway.
Authorities say the male driver of the vehicle has identified himself to law enforcement and is cooperating with fire investigators.