Officials with North Whidbey Fire and Rescue are asking voters in the district to increase property taxes in order to replace aging equipment, fix up crumbling fire houses and keep up with an increasing call load. Not everyone, however, is convinced that a tax hike is necessary. Fire commissioners voted last month to place a 35-cent levy lid lift on the Aug.
- PUB DATE: 5/24/2017 2:24:18 AM - SOURCE: Whidbey News-Times

The City of Spokane has named Brian Schaeffer the new chief of the Spokane Fire Department. Schaeffer, who has served as interim chief since Bobby Williams announced his retirement last fall, has been with the fire department since 2005. Before that, he worked for departments in Yakima, Washington and Wright City, Missouri.
- PUB DATE: 5/24/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KXLY.com

State fire assistance was mobilized Tuesday night to support firefighters working to put out a fire burning in Chelan County, three miles north of Leavenworth. Officials said about 100 homes were on the level 3 evacuation as of about 5:00 p.m. The evacuation is for Sunitsch Canyon to Eagle Creek, all of Spromberg Canyon and both sides of Chumstick Highway.
- PUB DATE: 5/24/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: krem2.com

Grant County Fire District 3 volunteer Luke Garrison was named Volunteer Fire Fighter of the Year at a state conference on Saturday. Lt. Garrison was honored during the Washington State Fire Fighters’ Association’s 94th annual ceremony held in Wenatchee. Garrison’s award is for the 2016 fire season, one of the worst on record in Washington.
- PUB DATE: 5/23/2017 3:15:31 AM - SOURCE: iFiberOne

The fire marshal and the ATF were back at Center Plaza Mall in Federal Way Monday, searching for the cause of a fire that destroyed one of three buildings that make up the complex. The estimated price tag for the losses is $5 million. All of it went up into smoke Sunday morning in a two-alarm fire that tore through the building.
- PUB DATE: 5/23/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: king5.com