Spill blamed for chemical fire

in WWU chemistry building

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - A fire in a chemistry lab at Western Washington University was apparently caused by an accidental chemical spill.

Bellingham Fire Marshal Jason Napier told The Bellingham Herald a student was getting ready to dispose of a mix of chemicals and spilled the liquid on the floor Tuesday evening.

Napier said vapors from the chemicals, which included acetone and hexane, found an ignition source in the lab and caused a flash-fire. The liquid continued to burn until sprinklers went off.

Napier said a few lab supplies were burned. No one was injured when the fire took off. Bellevue fire officials said there were six students and a professor in the third-floor lab at the time.

Some firefighters were sent to the hospital for evaluation after they inhaled an unknown gas when they entered the building.

Tribe, feds open wetlands to salmon recovery

EVERETT - Bulldozers have removed about 1,500 linear feet of a levee in the Snohomish River Estuary in order to reopen 350 acres of historic wetlands to help threatened salmon.

The Tulalip Tribes and officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries division said the breach was part of the largest restoration project so far in the Snohomish watershed.

A system of levees cut off and drained the Qwuloolt Estuary from the rest of the Snohomish system in the early 1900s. That turned the area into farmland.

Today, it's no longer viable as farmland, so the tribe and federal officials spearheaded its restoration to support recovery of wild chinook salmon and other wildlife.

The area is a key habitat for one of the largest remaining populations of wild Puget Sound chinook salmon.

Two men survive plane crash into South Fork of the Snake River

IDAHO FALLS - Law enforcement officials in eastern Idaho said two men survived a plane crash on the South Fork of the Snake River.

According to the Bonneville County Sheriff's Office, a two-person Husky Aviator plane struck a wire strung across the river around 5 p.m. Thursday. The plane flipped upside down and then landed in the water.

However, officials said, the two adult men in the plane were able to escape and get out of the river unharmed. The two were able to call for help after walking a little more than a mile.

The sheriff's office did not immediately have the names of the two men in the plane.

Police say downtown Idaho City fire was arson

BOISE - Police are saying the fire that burned down five businesses in downtown Idaho City was set intentionally.

The Idaho Statesman reported the blaze began in the early morning hours of June 5 and caused an estimated $311,000 in damage to a significant portion of the small city's downtown area and boardwalk.

Idaho State Police spokeswoman Teresa Baker said investigators believe the fire was a result of arson. She said information is being turned over to the prosecutor's office for review.

Idaho State Fire Marshal Knute Sandahl said the investigation confirmed initial suspicions the fire started in Calamity Jayne's restaurant and spread to the other businesses nearby.

Officials warn about firefighter impersonators

ENUMCLAW, Wash. - The King County Sheriff's Office is urging residents to call 911 if a firefighter comes to their home for an unscheduled safety check.

They issued the warning after a 93-year-old Enumclaw woman fell victim to a burglary that officials believe was carried out by a man impersonating a firefighter.

The man came to her home dressed in yellow work clothes and carrying a clipboard. He said he wanted to check her appliances. She let him in and he left saying everything appeared OK.

But she later discovered that some of her property was stolen from her garage.

Officials believe the man was impersonating a wildland firefighter in order to gain access to her home.

Inslee leaves on nine-day trade mission to Korea, Japan

OLYMPIA - Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has left for a nine-day trade mission to Korea and Japan.

Inslee flew out of the state Friday along with many members of the delegation, which include directors of the state agriculture and commerce departments, as well as 60 leaders from the business, education, economic development and local government communities.

The delegation will focus on trade and investment in the agriculture, aerospace, advanced manufacturing and technology sectors. The governor is heading first to Seoul, where he will meet with government officials and business leaders, and address a technology conference. He will then have stops in Kobe, Japan and Nagoya, Japan. His final stop will be in Tokyo.

Washington exported $7.4 billion in goods last year to Japan, making Japan the state's third largest export market. South Korea is the sixth largest export market, at $2.8 billion.

Associated Press