Published: Saturday, August 1, 2009
Peat bog still burning on Lake Ballinger island
MOUNTLAKE TERRACE — A peat bog fire on an island in Lake Ballinger continues to burn, despite the efforts of firefighters and a helicopter with a 200-gallon bucket dumping thousands of gallons of water on the blaze.
The fire broke out on Wednesday, sparked by an illegal fire at a make-shift campsite, according to Leslie Hynes, spokeswoman for Fire District 1. A cloud of dense smoke from the fire has drifted into surrounding neighborhoods.
“Our biggest concern continues to be the smoke and its impact on the community,” Hynes said.
Fire in peat can smolder for days, traveling underground. Previous fires on the 3-mile island in the middle of the lake have smoldered for weeks, Hynes said.
On Friday, one firefighter suffered minor injuries while working on the island and was taken to an area hospital, she said.
Firefighters are forced to suspend operations at dusk because it is unsafe to work on the island in the dark, Hynes said.
The fire broke out on Wednesday, sparked by an illegal fire at a make-shift campsite, according to Leslie Hynes, spokeswoman for Fire District 1. A cloud of dense smoke from the fire has drifted into surrounding neighborhoods.
“Our biggest concern continues to be the smoke and its impact on the community,” Hynes said.
Fire in peat can smolder for days, traveling underground. Previous fires on the 3-mile island in the middle of the lake have smoldered for weeks, Hynes said.
On Friday, one firefighter suffered minor injuries while working on the island and was taken to an area hospital, she said.
Firefighters are forced to suspend operations at dusk because it is unsafe to work on the island in the dark, Hynes said.
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