Inmates escape while working on Goldendale fire crew

GOLDENDALE, Wash. (AP) - Two inmates escaped while working on a fire crew in southcentral Washington state.

The News Tribune reports that Tyray Munter and Maksim Petrovskiy were part of a Department of Natural Resources fire crew battling a blaze in Goldendale that broke out Saturday.

The Department of Corrections says overnight inmate checks found them in their bunks, but by 2:50 a.m., they were gone.

The department launched a search and notified law enforcement, including the Oregon State Police.

Munter is serving a six-year sentence on assault and theft charges out of Snohomish County.

Petrovskiy was convicted of stealing a vehicle in Snohomish County. He was due to be released next year.

Both inmates were held at the Olympic Corrections Center near Forks, Washington.