Crews Responding To Two-Alarm Brushfire Along Tarpiscan Road Near Malaga

UPDATE: 3PM Wednesday

A brushfire was contained to under 30 acres Wednesday afternoon near Tarpiscan Road in Malaga.

Deputy Chief of Operations Andy Davidson with the Wenatchee Valley Fire Department says the fire was in mop-up status with assistance from the Department of Natural Resources and Bureau of Land Management personnel.

The fire was reported near MP1 on Tarpiscan Road at 11:53am, and air support was requested within 10 minutes, as the fire raced uphill, prompting a second alarm for additional resources.

Volunteers were able to initiate an initial attack using a brush rig stationed at a volunteer's home nearby and were aided by a helicopter and a fixed-wing aircraft that helped corral the flames between two basalt rock formations.  The forward progress was stopped just after 2pm

The cause is under investigation.

Davidson cautioned that the grassy fuels in the area are still extremely dry despite recent rainfall and can dry out within an hour of direct sun. Davidson urges the public to remain vigilant and not underestimate the dangerous fire conditions that are still present.

ORIGINAL POST: 12PM Wednesday

Crews are rushing to the scene of a brushfire near Tarpiscan Road in the Malaga area this afternoon.

The blaze was first reported at around 11:45 a.m. and has already blackened approximately 25 acres and prompted a second alarm for additional firefighting resources.

According to RiverCom dispatch, the fire is burning just to the southeast of Malaga around milepost 1 on Tarpiscan Road.

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Arriving personnel said the flames were located at the base of a hillside and were in the process of racing up the slope.

Firefighters with the Wenatchee Valley Fire Department are already on scene, and crews from other area agencies are expected to arrive soon.