Community News Police & Fire

Gig Harbor firefighters join effort in Spokane

Firefighters and equipment from around the Key Peninsula were sent to help fight the wild land fires that have destroyed  at least 700 structures and charred about 10,000 acres in the Spokane area.

As firefighters worked to contain the blaze that began on Saturday, smoke began drifting across the state, sparking air quality alerts in many Pierce County communities, including Gig Harbor. On Tuesday, air quality jumped into the moderate to unhealthy for sensitive groups category, blanketing the area with a layer of haze.

A team of four firefighters were sent by Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One over the weekend as part of the South Puget Strike Team. The firefighters initially staged at Cle Elum and then were quickly assigned to the Old Trails Fire, one of three fires burning in the Spokane area.

On Sunday they worked through the night protecting homes near the Autumn Lane Fire. And on Monday the team continued  operations at both fires, reinforcing fire lines and extinguishing hot spots, according to Gig Harbor fire.

“While firefighters generally don’t ever wish something bad on anyone, we recognize that these fire events happen every year and we train for the opportunity to respond locally and regionally,”  said Nick Langlow, Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One deputy chief of operations. “It’s super gratifying for our folks to be able to give back to their community and we know that should something happen locally, the response will be reciprocated.”

Firefighters from Pierce, King and Kitsap counties sent firefighters and equipment to battle the wild land fire in Spokane this past weekend.

Langlow said the firefighters will be deployed to the frontline for no longer than two weeks to help with the Autumn Lane Fire, the Fairview Fire and the Old Trails Fire that are being called the Spokane Complex Fires.

“It is certainly dangerous, but we train to mitigate the risk,” Langlow said.

Gov. Bob Ferguson granted the city of Spokane’s request to issue a state of emergency declaration for the wildfires burning in Eastern Washington.

Meanwhile, the Spokane Sheriff’s department arrested a  37-year-old Spokane man Monday on charges of arson in the 1st degree for allegedly starting one of the three blazes burning in the Spokane area, according to the Spokane Sheriff’s department.

Poulsbo Fire deployed an engine company and four firefighters as part of the regional team, said fire Chief Jim Gallard. The department had already sent an engine company on Saturday, Gallard said. Firefighters from Poulsbo were assigned to structure protection and hotspot mop-up operations, he said.

Other regional fire stations sending crews and equipment, include: Bainbridge Island Fire Department, Bremerton Fire Department, Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue, North Kitsap Fire and Rescue, Poulsbo Fire Department and South Kitsap Fire and Rescue.

A firefighter works to contain the wild land fire in Spokane. Firefighters from Pierce, Kitsap and King counties sent crews and equipment to help battles the fires that have consumed about 700 structures and burned 3,500 acres since Saturday.

The National Weather Service is predicting continued hot and dry conditions for Eastern Washington through Saturday, which will make the fires challenging to battle, according to firefighters.

Nationwide, firefighters are battling 99 fires consuming more than 3.7 million acres, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. The Northwest  was experiencing the nation’s most significant wildfire activity, with 50 uncontained large fires burning across Washington and Oregon, according to the fire agency.