More Small Brush Fires Pop Up from Unknown Causes in Wenatchee, East Wenatchee

Fire investigators are trying to figure out what's causing a rash of brush fires that have popped up in recent weeks in Wenatchee and East Wenatchee.

Two fires lately include one on the side of Grant Road near Fred Meyer that led to a gas station being temporarily shut down, and another one that was quickly put out on Columbia and Benton Streets in Wenatchee overnight Monday morning.

Kay McKellar with Chelan and Douglas County Fire Districts 1 and 2 says investigators have little information to go on.

"The were unable to determine what caused the fires," said McKellar. "They were very small brush fires. Nobody has seen anything in the area. (There were) no devices or anything that they were able to find that might give them any idea of how the fires got started."

Investigators started looking into the rash of fires over Labor Day weekend when three popped up over the course of an hour and a half in Wenatchee and East Wenatchee.

The first of those fires started at the eastside underpass of the George Sellar Bridge, and was put out by firefighters at about 4:30 Labor Day morning.

It was followed by one that took place north of the Odabashian Bridge on the west side, and then a third fire in a wooded area between the Loop Trail and a fruit warehouse off of North Miller Street in Wenatchee.

Several additional small brush fires have started in the weeks leading up to the most recent fires. They were all quickly put out.

Investigators are considering whether some or all of them were human caused.