By Greg James
To the outdoor growers of marijuana who already have to deal with mites, theft, miles of bureaucratic red tape, hail, mold, excessive taxes, high costs and mildew, now you can add fire, as well.
These hastily shot iPhone images, taken in the Omak, Washington area on Aug. 18 and 19, illustrate yet another challenge facing those who took the plunge and sunk their life savings into the brave new world of cannabis cultivation. Growers in parts of Washington, Oregon and California were severely threatened by wildfire this summer. The Chelan/Wolverine wildfire marked the largest in Washington State history. At the time of this writing, the fires had burned more than 600,000 acres and was less than a mile away from half a dozen major outdoor marijuana farms.
— Greg James