A brush fire that burned 700 acres broke out on Sunday, June 8, near Maryhill Loops Road in Goldendale, Washington. According to the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and local fire agencies, the fire started after a crash involving an Audi R8 during a hillclimb event.
The incident occurred during the Cope-Myers Memorial Hillclimb at Maryhill. The event was organized by Bridge City Autosports and the Northwest Hillclimb Association. At 11:39 a.m., WSDOT posted an alert on social media about a brush fire affecting US-97 near Old Maryhill Loops Road. Firefighters from Klickitat County Rural 7 Fire and Rescue responded quickly. Lyle Fire and Rescue District 4 also assisted. The fire was contained and cleared about three hours later.
Bridge City Autosport president Ryan Davis confirmed the incident in a statement to Road & Track. He said full comments were limited due to the ongoing post-fire response. Davis emphasized that safety was a top priority.
“The road has only one main entrance, located at the bottom,” Davis said in an email. “As soon as the crash happened, we directed all drivers and staff to return to the pit area at the base of the hill. This was done to ensure safety and to clear the road for emergency crews. Shortly after, we canceled the afternoon session.”
Mike Glass, president of the Northwest Hillclimb Association, confirmed the crashed vehicle was an Audi R8. A 2017 Audi R8 V10 registered from Keizer, Oregon, was listed among the event entries. The identity of the driver has not been officially confirmed.
Corey Salsbery, a participant listed on the Motorsport Registration website, shared details on social media. He stated the Audi R8 suffered a brake failure and slid off the road at a low-speed corner. The car ended up in a deep ditch. Both the driver and the car appeared unharmed at first. However, dry grass near the car caught fire after the crash. The flames quickly spread, destroying the Audi and sparking the large wildfire. The driver was not injured.
“Everyone nearby worked to put out the flames,” Salsbery wrote in a Facebook comment in the North American Rally group. “We used all our fire extinguishers, and the fire trucks on site ran out of water. The fire moved up the hill fast. A fire truck arrived within minutes, but it couldn’t stop the fire’s spread.”
Road & Track contacted the Washington State Department of Transportation for additional comments. At the time of publication, the agency had not responded.
Maryhill Loops Road is known as one of North America’s premier driving roads. It has been featured in YouTube videos, car commercials, and rally events like the Oregon Trail Rally. But the scenic route is also located in a fire-prone area of eastern Washington’s Columbia River Gorge. In summer, the dry grass along the road creates a high fire risk. This is not the first wildfire in the area, and officials say it may not be the last this season. Klickitat County has already issued a burn ban for the summer months.
