Fire crew in action, online

An online video of a Brier house fire in March is the beginning of what could be an impromptu YouTube channel at Snohomish County’s largest fire department.

The Web site for Fire District 1 is already a strange treasure chest filled with unexpected goodies.

Take the picture of a oxygen-wearing cat named Mo, for instance. The cat had just been rescued from a burning house near Silver Lake, and two firefighters are pictured holding the cat gingerly. Who knew firefighters did that?

Fire District 1 serves about 160,000 people — and their pets — in south Snohomish County, including the cities of Mountlake Terrace and Brier.

The guys are pretty embarrassed about their picture with Mo, said spokeswoman Leslie Hynes. She took the photo and maintains the site’s news section.

Trench rescue drills are also pictured, as are funny-looking dummies dressed up for hazardous material training.

The district might soon launch its own Facebook page, like the one Monroe’s Fire District 3 has, Hynes said. Hynes had a meeting about that last week.

Or maybe the district will try Twittering, a form of mobile instant messaging.

It’s all part of reaching out to the public, she said.

“We have the Web site, and we have the ability to put things up,” Hynes said. “We can share with the public and show them how we do our job.”

Right now, the videos are not part of anybody’s job description, she said. The video from March was shot by Hynes on her daughter’s camera while she was performing her other duties. She squeezed film work in between media interviews and talking to neighbors.

Still, she’s hoping future videos of fires or training come out even better, she said.

“It was something new, and it isn’t the best quality or anything,” Hynes said. “But it was something that I wanted to try.”

Chris Fyall: 425-339-3447, cfyall@heraldnet.com.

Online look at Fire District 1

See more photos and videos of fires and firefighters at www.firedistrict1.org. Click on “Photo Album.”