Local News

<< Previous   of   Next >> (click to enlarge) Michael O'Leary / The Herald  (click to enlarge) State Department of Natural Resources crews fight a brush fire southeast of Monroe on Tuesday afternoon.   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Wednesday, July 8, 2009 Forest fire near Monroe chars two acres The blaze was nearly under control Tuesday evening By Debra Smith and Katya Yefimova Herald Writers MONROE -- Fire crews were struggling to knock down a forest fire southeast of Monroe on Tuesday evening. The fire had eaten through nearly 2 acres of state-owned land on a ridge above North High Rock Road. It is a forested area crisscrossed by gravel roads. Nearby homes weren't in danger, and officials late Tuesday said the blaze was nearly under control. "We think we got to it in time," said Mark Morrow, spokesman for the Department of Natural Resources. Plumes of grayish-black smoke puffed into the air above the hillside and were visible from miles across the valley. Firefighters arrived about 11 a.m. and had to hack a trail uphill through piles of logging slash and brush to reach the fire. By lunchtime, a helicopter was zooming to the fire and dumping loads of water onto the blaze. By afternoon, a dozen firefighters worked furiously along an edge of the fire heading toward a stand of trees. They used chain saws and Pulaski tools to carve a line between the creeping fire and the bone-dry brush. Acrid smoke and the roar of chain saws floated through the air. Joel King, who lives less than a mile from the flames, drove his truck below the ridge to watch the fire's progress. He came home after his friend spotted choppers delivering water to the fire. He wasn't concerned about his home. "I know those guys know what they're doing," he said. The change in the weather helped firefighting efforts, said Morrow from the DNR. The extended dry spell and warm temperatures late last week prompted officials to issue a "red flag" alert for fire danger throughout Western Washington. Despite the warnings, fire crews battled numerous brush fires around Snohomish County as people celebrated the Fourth of July with fireworks. Local firefighters likely will monitor the Monroe-area fire for some time after state crews contain the blaze, he said. It may take several days to hose down hot spots and wipe out every trace of the fire. Officials didn't know Tuesday evening what caused the fire. "We'll be investigating," Morrow said. Debra Smith: 425-339-3197, dsmith@heraldnet.com. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

1. Early morning gunfire wounds 2 in Everett 2. Father guilty of manslaughter in girl's death 3. ZZ Top fans get Everett buzzing 4. Crash devastating for toddler 5. Snohomish County budget passes, with a caveat 6. Fall 2009 Wesco All-League Teams 7. Laundry fire sparks concerns over smoke detectors 8. Two people injured in Highway 9 collision 9. Northrop: Boeing's 767 ‘no longer commercially viable' 10. Lynnwood police seek hit-and-run driver 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

• Holiday Lightings & Santa Sightings • Ruling in the pool • Archbishop Murphy takes title • A season of performing arts • Budget numbers have official fuming • Wildcats move on to 2A semifinals • Holiday Bazaars & Fairs Calendar • Edmonds’ Westgate Chapel serves up hospitality for holiday • Mavericks fall • Boeing will build, flight test and deliver 787s in South Carolina to spe ... • Snohomish County EDC promoting job growth in key industry clusters • $4 million grant to advance brain tumor research has Everett links • Providence medical center construction tops off its 12-story steel frame ... • Tulalip affordable housing project to be financed by KeyBank, Raymond Ja ... • Arlington's Lak of Ink has a growing following for Luke Kooyman's creati ... • Bank of the Northwest formed • Cascade Bank earns $1.6 million