Wind, dust, and devastation

A devastating wind event swept through Washington on September 7, Labor Day. Weather experts said that a strong cold front moved down from Canada, creating wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour in some areas.

In Whitman County, the town of Malden was consumed by one of three wildfires. Whitman County Sheriff Brett Meyers estimated that nearly 80 percent of the town was lost to a fast-moving fire that started near Babb Road in Spokane County, leaving many of the 200 residents without homes. Homes in nearby Pine City were also damaged, according to Whitman County Sheriff.

"The scale of this disaster really can't be expressed in words. The fire will be extinguished, but a community has been changed for a lifetime. I just hope we don't find the fire took more than homes and buildings. I pray everyone got out in time," Myers said in a statement. Crews began searching the scorched area for possible victims early Tuesday morning.

Hundreds of residents in Okanagan, Douglas, and Chelan counties were ordered to evacuate as the Cold Spring and Pearl Hill Fires, fueled by dry grass and timber, took off with the 40-45 mph gusts. As of Tuesday, the fires had crossed the Columbia River and burned more than 174,000 acres with zero percent containment. The amount of structural damage has not been assessed.

Closer to home, low visibility created dangerous driving conditions, eventually shutting down Highway 124 between Waitsburg and Prescott. Thirty-seven cars were stranded in a sandstorm near milepost 37. One Waitsburg resident recalled a dust event near Central Ferry along the Snake River.

"I was following a Toyota pickup when a wall of dust blew up out of nowhere," said the Waitsburg man, who wished to remain nameless. "The pickup just disappeared. I've never seen anything like it."

Across Walla Walla County, there were hundreds of reports of downed trees. The City of Walla Walla closed Pioneer Park around 2 p.m. over concerns of falling tree limbs and branches. Numerous reports of downed power lines were called in, with a handful of them sparking small grass fires. Thousands of residents were temporarily without power, according to Pacific Power.

Walla Walla area firefighters were dispatched across the western part of the county. Waitsburg High School alum Zach Hubbard headed to Northern California with a contract crew, and Dayton High School graduate David Lewis was dispatched to Yakima to assist with the Evans Fire in Yakima, WA. Several other local firefighters helped with fires in Benton, Whitman, Yakima and Okanogan counties.

Most of Washington remains in a red-flag warning with 'critical' fire conditions. Fire bans are still in effect in Walla Walla and Columbia Counties. All fires, including charcoal grills, are prohibited. Air quality is still marked as poor and could cause breathing problems for sensitive individuals.