EVERETT — Nearly 30 Snohomish County firefighters were in Wenatchee on Monday helping battle the Sleepy Hollow wildfire.
It was the second state-level mobilization for local wildfire crews so far this summer, Gold Bar Fire Chief Eric Andrews said. For 11 years, he’s coordinated mobilizations from this county and four others. The first call-out, a few weeks ago to Brewster, was the earliest he’s ever seen, he said.
“It’s going to be a really active year,” he said.
The region sent 12 fire engines, including seven from Snohomish County, he said. The rigs are manned by crews specially trained in wildland firefighting.
They arrived in Wenatchee on Sunday night and went onto the fire line, Andrews said. Until rainfall started around 3 a.m., “they were actively involved in fighting a pretty serious fire,” he said.
The team will stay on site up to two weeks. They bring at least three days’ worth of food and set up their tents at a school or park, usually fighting the fire at night and sleeping during the day.
This region generally has the resources to put together three strike teams, Andrews said. Two such teams were sent to Wenatchee on Sunday.
Some resources have to be kept local in case of a bad fire here, said Travis Hots, the fire chief for Getchell and rural Arlington. He’s undergoing training to become a strike-team leader. He helps coordinate deployments at the county level.
The crews that were sent have special skills, Hots said, including felling trees and starting small, carefully controlled burns to wipe out dead grasses and create a buffer zone around homes. Protecting buildings is a major part of what they do, Hots said. Sometimes that means staying in front of someone’s home using a fire hose to keep the property damp. They’re trained to post lookouts and monitor safety routes to avoid being surrounded by the flames.
“We take extreme care and measures to minimize the risk,” he said.
Snohomish County fire departments are expected to keep more wildfire resources local this year than in the past due to the high fire danger, Hots said. For weeks, firefighters have been encouraging people to be extra cautious in the hot, dry weather.
Many local fire departments are asking people to be conservative in their use of fireworks on the Fourth of July due to the fire danger. Instead, they encourage people to attend a public display. If a firework starts a fire, don’t hesitate to call 911, Monroe Fire Marshal Michael Fitzgerald said.
“Conditions are scary for bad fires and injuries this year,” he said.
The fire ramped down in Wenatchee on Monday afternoon. Amtrak train riders still were being rerouted onto buses between Seattle and Spokane, the railroad reported. That connects riders from Portland with routes eastbound, including to Chicago.
The American Red Cross also saw a reduced need for sheltering, said Megan Snow, executive director of the chapter serving Central Washington.
People were being allowed to return to their homes, with warnings that evacuation orders could be reinstated, she said.
Red Cross volunteers in Snohomish County were put on standby. “Everybody continues to be on alert, but we’re not actively pulling people in,” she said.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.
Burn bans
In Snohomish County, an outdoor burning ban is in place for unincorporated areas. People who live in city limits should check with their local fire department. The county ban is in place until further notice, likely until there is significant rainfall. Campfires in approved fire pits are allowed if they meet certain requirements. Officials ask people to reconsider having a campfire during the hot, dry weather.
In Island County, all outdoor burning and cooking fires are banned except those in barbecues kept at least 10 feet from any vegetation. They should be set on concrete or a similar material — not grass. The Island County burn ban began Monday morning.
There also is a Department of Natural Resources burn ban for state lands including forests and parks. It runs through Sept. 30.
Wildfire prevention
Keep anything that could burn 30 feet from the house.
Clear dead grass, flowers and weeds. Clean out gutters and remove any debris from rooftops.
Keep grass short and green. Keep flower boxes and peat moss moist.
Trim any branches that touch the roof of a house, garage or other building.
Soak or bury campfires before sleeping or leaving the area. Do the same for charcoal briquettes. Don’t dump them in a trash can or plastic container.
Keep a shovel and five gallons of water near the campfire.
Don’t discard cigarettes in beauty bark or planter boxes.
Don’t park in brush. A car’s exhaust system can start a fire.
Source: Snohomish County firefighters
More info: firewise.org.
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