Washington ranchers struggle with fire recovery

The largest wildfire in Washington this season received little publicity, mainly because it was over so fast. Whipped by sustained winds of 32 mph and gusts at 40-plus, the Grass Valley Fire burned 75,538 acres of mostly very dry private rangeland in northern Douglas County. Winds lessened and 200 firefighters from 10 local fire districts stopped it just shy of the towns of Grand Coulee and Coulee Dam. It mostly happened during eight hours on Aug. 11.Now, two months later, about 20 affected ranches are struggling to survive and recover. They’re dealing with a collective loss the Foster Creek Conservation District estimates at $20 million to $30 million.Depending on moisture, it will be one to two years before cattle can graze the land again.