The Department of Natural Resources has begun training seasonal firefighters in preparation for the upcoming wildfire season, with the peak of wildfire season still a few months away. The agency triples the amount of firefighters it has on staff by bringing on over 500 seasonal firefighters to ensure they are ready to respond to wildfires. The training includes fuel reduction work, which serves as preparation for actual fire response.

“What we’re doing behind me right now is doing a fuels reduction work, and that’s a training opportunity that should a wildfire move through, we can build a fuel break that will stop those wildfires, slow the intensity of those wildfires and make it easier to fight on the ground when fire season does arrive,” said Ryan Rodruck, wildfire communications manager for DNR.

The seasonal firefighters come from diverse backgrounds and are motivated by community service. “Some folks are straight out of high school, straight out of college. Some have other day jobs. And they’re here training today to help serve their community, and help keep us safe from wildfires throughout the state of Washington,” Rodruck said. The comprehensive training program covers multiple aspects of firefighting that crews will need when responding to active fires.

KAYU-TV FOX 28 Spokane

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A small electrical fire outside a Leavenworth tobacco shop Tuesday morning was quickly contained after a passing off-duty fire official spotted the flames. The fire was reported around 6:13 a.m. at a shop located at the 200 block of Highway 2 in Leavenworth by Deputy Chief Mike Smith with Chelan County Fire District 3, who was on his morning run at the time. Crews arrived to find flames burning near the front of the building.

Smith said the fire appears to have been caused by a malfunctioning electrical component, possibly an LED light strip. The flames were mostly limited to the exterior, causing minor damage to the facade and breaking a front window. Firefighters checked inside the wall to make sure the fire hadn’t spread further. Smith said the owner, who lives in a residential space above the business, was home at the time but was safely evacuated and allowed to return once crews cleared the scene.

The Wenatchee World – Metered Site

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A new Life Flight Network hangar opened at the Walla Walla Regional Airport with the goal of getting emergency crews into the air faster across the region. Leaders said the new facility put crews closer to their aircraft and helped connect patients to urgent medical care more quickly. Before the upgrade, crews had to cross the airport to reach the helicopter. Leaders said that added about 10 to 15 minutes during emergencies.

“That’s extra 15 minutes that really impatient could lose pulses, or things can change really quickly,” a speaker said. Life Flight nurse Kylie Vanarsdale said crews previously had to use a side-by-side vehicle to get to the aircraft. “We would have to get in a little side by side and drive down there, and it was extending our time probably about 10-15 minutes beforehand. It makes a huge difference between life and death I’d say,” said Kylie Vanarsdale. The new hangar kept pilots, nurses and paramedics in one place and ready to respond quickly.

KNDO-TV NBC 23 Yakima

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VIDEO: Firefighters knocked down a house fire near Freya Street and Courtland Avenue in about 10 minutes, preventing most of the home from being lost. Battalion Chief David Kovac said the fire started in the living room and spread to the right side of the upper floor. No people or pets were inside the home, and no injuries were reported. Kovac said crews responded quickly and worked efficiently during the 2 a.m. fire. Four engines, two ladder trucks and 22 firefighters responded to the scene.

KHQ-TV NBC 6 Spokane

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A fire at Olalla Food Center on Sunday afternoon forced employees and customers to evacuate and has closed the store due to damages. According to a statement from South Kitsap Fire & Rescue, crews responded to a commercial structure fire at the store on Olalla Valley Road around 12:30 p.m. April 12, Capt. Laine Desilets, public information officer with South Kitsap Fire & Rescue, said.

Employees reportedly evacuated with two customers after they heard a loud sound from the back storeroom, and proceeded to call 911. According to Desilets, the first crews at the scene observed heavy smoke and flames coming from an exterior access door. A total of 22 apparatus from SKFR, Bremerton Fire Department, Key Peninsula Fire, Gig Harbor Fire and Medic One arrived to extinguish the fire.

Desilets said it took firefighters just under an hour to control the fire, and some crews remained at the store for about three hours. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Kitsap County Fire Marshal. No civilians or emergency responders were injured, Desliets said, although the Olalla Food Center sustained extensive damages to the building’s interior. An estimate of damage to the building is currently unknown.

Kitsap Sun – Metered Site

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