Pullman Fire Investigator Tony Nuttman said Tuesday that the accidental cause of the Colfax wildfire was an improper disposal of cigarettes.
In a separate press release, the Whitman County Sheriff’s Office said a man was arrested on criminal trespass charges. The man allegedly admitted that he was smoking in the area where the wildfire started on Green Hollow Road. The sheriff’s office said that the case is still under investigation.
In the fire Saturday, former Colfax Fire Chief Jim Krouse suffered an apparent fatal heart attack while pulling hose.
Services for Krouse are pending at the Bruning Funeral Home in Colfax.
Fire investigator Tony Nuttman