Well Fall is here. Leaves are changing to their vibrant yellows, reds and golds. Apples, pears and other fruits and vegetables are ripening and ready to harvest, Pumpkins are ready to be carved and we can still sunbathe in the 70-degree weather. Yes, it is still warm, dry, a little breezy from time to time and no rain in sight.
YES, THE TOTAL BURN BAN IS STILL IN EFFECT. Even though the humidity is rising and we are having cooler nights, the fuel load is still VERY DRY .
We have dodged the fire bullet twice in the last few weeks, by fast action from concerned citizens, our amazing fire crew and a little luck.
Out in a forested area, some land owners smelled smoke and tracked it to some smoldering embers around a tree base that had gotten down into the duff and roots and it was travelling underground completely unnoticed until it finds a path up the next tree… It was in an area that was not accessible with our stick and timber house firefighting equipment, so our team went down with buckets and barrels of water, in a pickup, and wild land firefighting gear to start the fight. With the help of concerned neighbors, our crew dug fire line and chased the burning coals and roots until the forest floor looked like a bunch of gophers, on methamphetamines had gone mad down there. They worked on it until it was too dark to safely work. The DNR Wildfire Hotshot Foreman, who came out to investigate the fire said that he was very impressed with how your Island Firefighters responded to and handled the fire. He felt after he investigated the sight, that the fire was likely started by careless humans.
The second event was powerlines arcing with trees in the lines. We were lucky in that the power was lost to the whole island and the arcing lines did not get to the ground. My point is, we can have wildfires in Western Washington. Just drive down the freeway and see how many burn patches are along the freeway, or try to cross highway 2 with the wildfire around Skykomish. Drive up Hwy 20 to Newhalem and Diablo and see how close the fires came to those towns. This I write as a reminder to please be careful with burning material when walking in the forested areas. If you are walking on the paths and trails and you smell smoke, please CALL 911 as soon as possible.
There is a lot of information on the Fire Department Web Site, provided by the Fire Department’s Disaster Preparedness Division, and links on how to Firewise your home. We have personnel who will come and do a walk around assessment of your home and property at your request, and give you suggestions on how to better prepare your home sight for wildfire. Your Map your neighborhood group can discuss how to make your neighborhood more fire adaptive by removing fire fuel loads around your properties, beneath your trees, to reduce fuel load and help steer the fire around your neighborhoods.
The Website has links to information on preparing a home plan in case of an emergency or disaster including wildfire to help you be prepared. Being informed and prepared helps when you have to make those “should I stay or should I go “decisions – when considering whether to evacuate or shelter in place.
Here is a short communication received from the Washington State DNR (Dept. of Natural Resources) on Oct. 5, 2022: As I am sure you have all noticed here in Northwest Region we are still waiting for any measurable precipitation let alone a “season ending event”. Our fire staff is still responding to approximately 1-2 initial attack fires a day, and we are actively working on and managing a 12,000+ acre fire between Index and Skykomish. We are continuing to see temperatures higher, relative humidity lower, and less precipitation than what we can normally expect as a climatological norm for this time of year. There is a potential for precipitation around the 10th which we are eagerly looking forward to. We will have to see what comes out of that forecast.
So much for warm and dry, now onto cold and wet. NOAA predicts another la Nina winter, meaning wetter colder weather. Neighbors should be prepared for wet weather – clean out your gutters and make sure water can run away from your homes. Have some way to redirect water from your home if road ditches overflow or that creek behind your house exceeds its banks. Work with your MYN Group to identify areas of concerns and work at modifying or correcting the issues. Make your winter weather plans now.
Again the Fire department web site has links to planning guides on the Disaster Prep page to assist you in preparing for winter weather events or any potential disaster.
Website: https://lummiislandfire.com/disaster-preparedness
Remember the first responder that comes to your aid the quickest is the one that looks back at you in the mirror every morning.
ARE YOU READY?
John E. Granger
Assistant Fire Chief
EMS/Disaster Prep.