VIDEO: Beaver Lake will look a little more like the high seas as pirates take over the water for a good cause.

Each year, the Grassy Knob Fire Department hosts the Beaver Lake Pirate Poker Run, a pirate-themed fundraiser that swaps motorcycles for boats. Instead of riding from stop to stop on the road, participants decorate their boats, dress up as pirates and make their way around Beaver Lake collecting cards.

“The Beaver Lake Pirate Poker Run is the only boat poker run on Beaver Lake,” said Sharlene Kenyon, president of the Grassy Knob Auxiliary and chairperson of the event.

“Most poker runs are motorcycles, and you go from place to place, and you collect your cards. Well, here you go from place to place, but you’re in your boat and you’re on the lake.”

The event includes seven stops around Beaver Lake, including marinas and other local sponsors. Participants can play as many hands as they want, with prizes for the best poker hands, the best pirate boat and the best pirate crew.

There is even a prize for the worst hand. “We also have a prize, a good prize, $400 for the low hand or the worst hand that you can get,” Kenyon said. When asked if that means even the losers are winners, Kenyon laughed. “Even the losers are winners, and you can make some money off being a loser,” she said.

KFSM-TV CBS 5 Fort Smith

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A barn fire at Saratoga Casino Hotel destroyed a backstretch stable, killing nearly 20 horses, canceling live harness racing, officials said.

Saratoga Casino Hotel and the Saratoga Springs Fire Department said the fire broke out around 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 16 in a barn at the backstretch of the harness racetrack at 25 Nelson Ave. The barn was completely destroyed.

In a press release received by the NewsChannel 13 newsroom around 2:30 p.m., the Saratoga Casino Hotel and the Saratoga Harness Horseperson’s Association said 17 horses died in the fire. One horse escaped the fire and was mildly injured.

Eleven of the horses that died belonged to trainer Robyn Mangiardi, the other six belonged to trainer Timothy Benson, according to the afternoon release.

No people were hurt, according to the casino hotel and fire department. Officials said members of the Saratoga Casino Hotel security team rescued several horses before the fire grew too large to manage.

The Saratoga Springs Fire Department said when crews arrived at the scene they found an advanced fire condition. They said they worked to put the fire out while also trying to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby barns and structures.

The fire department said firefighters, law enforcement, staff and other people at the scene worked to remove animals from nearby structures but were unable to prevent the deaths of some. They said they were assisted by agencies across Saratoga County.

WNYT-TV NBC 13 Albany

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VIDEOS/PHOTOS: Washington Governor Bob Ferguson requested a fire management assistance declaration from FEMA for a destructive wildfire burning north of Upriver Drive east of Spokane on Tuesday. Multiple primary residences have been destroyed, according to the Incoming type 3 team public information officer.

In a post on social media, the governor said he expected the request to be approved later Tuesday evening. The governor wrote that the declaration would give the state access to federal funding for the “extraordinary” costs in fighting the fire. “My thoughts are with the first responders fighting this blaze, and with the families evacuated from their homes,” the governor wrote in a statement.

KHQ-TV NBC 6 Spokane

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A fire that started when people tried to steal gas from a Grace Academy bus on June 11 destroyed the bus and damaged another vehicle, the Marysville school said. Grace Academy said the fire happened the evening of June 11 after people attempted to steal gas from Bus No. 1. The school said the gas theft attempt accidentally ignited a fire.

The fire destroyed Bus No. 1, a nearby hedge and the rear of the school’s larger bus, according to Grace Academy. The school thanked the Marysville Fire Department for extinguishing the fire and protecting nearby properties.

KING-TV NBC 5 Seattle

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The Washington State Fire Marshal (WSFM) issued Level 3 (Go Now!) Evacuations for the Tucannon Fire in Columbia County near Dayton. According to a press release, the first started at 4:15 p.m. Tuesday. The size of the fire is estimated at 6,000 acres as of 9 p.m. Tuesday. Officials say the fire is threatening primary residences, feeding grounds for livestock and critical infrastructure.

WSFM says the State Emergency Operations Center at Camp Murray is activated to Level 2 to help with state assistance for the Tucannon Fire. The press release says that as of 9 p.m. Tuesday, mobilization specialists have ordered five wildland strike teams, three hand crews and air resources to help contain the fire. The cause of the fire is still under investigation at this time.

KREM-TV CBS 2 Spokane

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