Props to the men and women fighting fires on the front lines

We’ve got one more month of summer, which means it’s we’re still in a long fire season.

Currently fire crews are battling more than 20 fires in the state.

The Chelan Complex Fire has burned over 100,000 acres. In Stevens County there are three major fires that have burned over 13,700 acres. On the Colville Indian Reservation, the North Star Fire has burned over 30,000 acres.

In the last month, the West Plains has experienced several brush and structure fires, including two within Airway Heights and one that consumed 270 acres in the area north of the city.

With more than 2,600 firefighters and support staff combating the blazes, resources are stretched thin. Soldiers from the National Guard and Joint Base Lewis-McChord are helping fight fires in Washington and other Western states.

The recent cooler weather has limited some of the growth of fires. Unfortunately, the relief could be short-lived as the National Weather Service is predicting hotter temperatures and increasing winds by the middle of the week.

In spring, we knew it was going to be a busy fire season — several local officials predicted it was going to be the busiest season yet. In 2014, Washington came off its biggest fire season with 897 fires on Department of Natural Resources forested land including the Carlton Complex Fire, the largest wildfire in state history, which burned more than 250,000 acres.

State and local officials took measures to mitigate the cause of fires. In June, DNR imposed a burn ban on state forests, state parks and forestlands under its fire protection. Spokane County also issued a burn ban for any currently unauthorized “open burning” and recreational burning within the unincorporated areas of the county. The city of Medical Lake asked residents to voluntarily ban fireworks on July 4.

Something we should take note are the men and women who are firefighters. In the West Plains there is a strong fire support from agencies such as Airway Heights, Cheney, Medical Lake, Fairchild Air Force Base and Spokane County Fire Districts 3 and 10.

In my years as a reporter I’ve gotten to meet some interesting characters, including many of the brave men and women who serve as firefighters and first responders. Medical Lake officers help at Eastern State Hospital and Lakeland Village.

In addition to fighting fires, agencies serve the community. The Medical Lake Fire Department puts on the annual Fisherman’s Breakfast in April. Airway Heights always attends local events, including the summer festival and Easter Egg Hunt. The Cheney Department escorts Santa Claus during the annual Candy Cane Hayride and raises money and food for the Cheney Food Bank. Fire District 10 raised almost $1,000 in gifts for toddler Aidyn Parret and his family. Every Christmas, Firefighters from Fire District 3 will buy gifts for local families.

Many of these firefighters serving with these agencies do so as volunteers. They’ll sometimes leave their jobs during their workday and families in the middle of dinner, with the possibility they may not come back.

Speaking with many of these folks, I learn that most of them become firefighters because they want to help others. They are helping someone on their worst day and trying to make it better.

All of the departments are currently taking applications for volunteers. Airway Heights, Medical Lake and Fire District 10 collaborate in a West Plains Fire Recruit Academy twice a year.

Fire season isn’t over yet and while fires are unpredictable, there are things folks can do to better prepare themselves. Fire officials recommend residents create an escape plan, follow local burning laws and establish a 30-100 foot safety zone around the house. Residents should also meet with neighbors and form a neighborhood watch group. When they create their escape plan, they can make sure to move their vehicles to allow safety personnel access to their homes. Residents can request Fire District 3 perform a pre-assessment on homes.

Most importantly, if residents see a fire they should call 9-1-1.

Al Stover can be reached at [email protected].