A wet spring followed by an unusually hot and dry summer brought an early fire season to the Pacific Northwest. Officials with the Department of Natural Resources say Washington’s fire season is just starting, but what that means for Western Washington is different from what it means for the east side.
- PUB DATE: 8/28/2017 6:35:50 AM - SOURCE: Vancouver Columbian

Fire season continues to scorch the state and firefighters are definitely feeling it, making the need for new ones essential. The Pasco Fire Department celebrated the graduation of eight new firefighters on Friday. With fire officials expecting to take on wildland fires up into October, their graduation couldn't have come at better time.
- PUB DATE: 8/28/2017 6:05:24 AM - SOURCE: KEPR-TV CBS 19

Local FEMA groups are headed to Houston Monday morning, including Renton firefighters who are trained to dive for people in distress. Two years ago, 15 firefighters in Renton trained in a rescue swimmer program in addition to the department's regional dive team. Those firefighters with the skills and equipment needed to get to stranded Tropical Storm Harvey victims have been deployed as part of FEMA’s Pierce County-based Washington Task Force, WA-TF1.
- PUB DATE: 8/28/2017 5:43:19 AM - SOURCE: KIRO-TV CBS 7

A couple of days ago, San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood got a “Godspeed” text from Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña. He also got a similar text from Corpus Christi Fire Chief Robert Rocha, Hood said during an afternoon briefing on Harvey. But, oh, how the tables have turned. “They are going through those challenges (now) and I had to reciprocate with texts and phone calls to them because of what they are going through,” Hood said.
- PUB DATE: 8/28/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Corpus Christi Caller-Times