Fire crews in Snohomish County are already seeing the effects of a mild, dry winter and are preparing for a potentially long and dangerous fire season.
“It’s really dry out there, and it’s not getting any better,” Fire District 22 Chief Travis Hots said.
His crew was called out to a 1-acre brush fire Tuesday, and fought a larger grass fire north of Lake Stevens about four weeks ago
“It’s the earliest we’ve ever seen,” Hots said of the fire season.
November through February marked the fifth driest winter in 110 years, according to the National Weather Service. The mountain snowpack is 26 percent of normal, and Gov. Christine Gregoire declared a drought last week.
Gregoire asked the Legislature Friday for $12 million to prepare for the drought, and earmarked $200,000 for the state Department of Natural Resources to get a jump on hiring and training seasonal firefighters.
The department estimates that the Northwest is up to two months ahead of schedule for the start of fire season.
Last summer, fire officials were predicting a severe fire season, but rain in August and September ended the danger sooner than expected. Fire managers are hoping for a repeat performance.
“The determining factor is going to be how much moisture we get in the coming weeks,” said Dan Pugmire, a DNR fire manager.Even if there is moderate rainfall this spring, the low snowpack could create tinder-dry conditions, fire officials said.
“Without a good accumulation of snow, the soil and vegetation dry out. It takes a lot to build back that moisture,” said Betty Blodgett, spokeswoman for the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.
U.S. Forest Service fire managers are keeping a close eye on the weather, Blodgett said. “If this weather pattern continues, we’re facing a long, hard fire season,” she said.
Low water levels in rivers, streams and lakes could hamper firefighting efforts, said Sultan Fire Chief Merlin Halverson, because crews often pump water out of rivers and streams.
“If we have to leave to get water, it could be real difficult,” he said.
Fire departments have already begun preparing for wildfires. They’ve rolled out vehicles specifically equipped to fight brush fires, and crews are training several weeks earlier than usual.
“The season is here and now,” Hots said.
Wildfires take a lot of manpower to fight, and it’s likely Snohomish County departments will be asked to help in Eastern Washington this season, Halverson said.
Last year, hundreds of homes were threatened by fires east of the Cascades. Firefighters fought several smaller blazes in Snohomish County, including a 30-acre fire outside Darrington and 20-acre fire near Granite Falls.
Fire officials are calling on residents to be extremely wary of fire this summer, especially if they live in rural areas. Developed areas near forestlands run a greater risk of wildfires, said Janet Pearce, a DNR spokeswoman.
Last year, about half of the state’s wildfires were caused by people, fire officials said
“The public can really help us a lot,” Halverson said. “We need everyone to be careful and aware that things are dry.”
Herald writer Lara Bain contributed to this story.
Reporter Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463 or hefley@ heraldnet.com.
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