The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

By Cooper Inveen

WNPA Olympia News Bureau

OLYMPIA—It’s been almost eight months since the largest wildfire in Washington’s history scorched the Methow Valley, and criticism over the official firefighting response by the state’s Department of Natural Resources continues to rage.

What began with four individual fires quickly expanded into the 268,764-acre Carlton Complex fire. Over the course of a month, the fire engulfed more than 300 homes and caused more than $65 million in damages, according to the DNR. Many victims have filed lawsuits against the state for damages, charging th...