Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Fire-related cattle deaths could approach 300 head


WENATCHEE, Wash . — Crews Friday began burying many of the approximately 300 head of cattle that died in the Carlton Complex Fire. Total cattle deaths already number more than local officials say they’ve ever seen. “The fire was moving so fast, the cattle didn’t have time to get out of the way,” Doug Hale, environmental health specialist for Okanogan County Public Health. “They became confused and couldn’t find their way to safety.” Officials will inspect and try to identify the animal by brand or ear tag and determine who it belongs to. In the Chiliwist area, a vast region of pine forest and open range north of Brewster, 215 cattle were found. Many of those were along stretches of North Star Road, beyond where the pavement ends, Hale said. Most belonged to rancher Cass Gebbers, who allowed authorities to dig trenches on his property to bury the cattle, Hale said. Other carcasses found on rangeland far from homes and water sources were left where they fell and allowed to decompose, he said. Exact numbers of dead cattle haven’t been tallied, but Hale said he’d heard reports of 40 more in a remote canyon near Pateros that were left in place and 50 in a canyon near Twisp that were buried by U.S. Forest Service officials...more

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