Dishman Hills facts for kids
The Dishman Hills Natural Resources Conservation Area is a special place in Spokane County, Washington. It covers about 530 acres (215 hectares) of land. Different groups work together to protect this area. These include the Spokane County Parks and Recreation Department and the Washington Department of Natural Resources. Non-profit groups like the Inland Northwest Land Conservancy also help.
The Dishman Hills are known for their large granite rocks. These rocks were formed a very long time ago, about 70 million years ago. Hot, melted rock called magma pushed up from deep inside the Earth. It then cooled down and became solid granite. Later, between 13,000 and 15,000 years ago, huge floods changed the rocks. These were the powerful Missoula Floods.
The hills have small valleys, ponds, and big granite formations. This creates a home for many plants and animals. You can find tall ponderosa pine trees here. There are also about 300 types of flowering plants, like Indian Camas. Plus, 73 different kinds of mushrooms grow in the area. Many animals live in Dishman Hills too. These include coyotes, marmots, white-tailed deer, and pheasants. Dozens of kinds of butterflies also fly around the hills.
The Dishman Hills are located just south of the Dishman area. This area is part of The City of Spokane Valley. If you keep going south from the park, the land rises even more. You would reach the Rocks of Sharon and the Iller Creek Conservation Area. These areas are close to the top of Krell Hill.
Valley View Fire Event
On Thursday, July 10, 2008, a large fire started in the Dishman Hills. It began around 3:30 PM local time. This fire was called the Valley View Fire. By Friday morning, it had burned about 1,200 acres (4.9 square kilometers). Sadly, 11 homes were destroyed.
Washington State Governor Chris Gregoire declared a state of emergency. This was for Spokane County. People living in the area were told to leave their homes for safety. Two shelters were set up in Spokane Valley to help them.
The fire started from a small, smoldering fire. A person living nearby had started it days before. They left it burning inside an old tree stump. Strong winds on Thursday, July 11, made the fire flare up again. These winds quickly spread the fire across the Dishman Hills. Many homes along Dishman-Mica Road were in danger. Homes in the Park Drive area were directly in the fire's path.
Several things helped the fire spread so fast. The winds were unusually strong that day. Also, there was a lot of dry plant material in the Dishman Hills. This material acted as fuel for the fire.
