SPOKANE—At least three Snohomish County firefighting agencies have deployed to Eastern Washington to assist in fighting the devastating fires that have scorched more than 8,000 acres and damaged more than 700 homes since Tuesday, August 4.
According to the Western Fire Chiefs Association there are currently three major, ongoing, fires in the Spokane area: the Autumn Lane Fire, the Fairview Fire, and the Old Trails fire.
These are only three of more than a dozen large fires that have spread across Washington State since the beginning of August. According to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, more than 1,100 active wildfires have burned more than 541,000 acres in Washington as of Monday, August 3.
While a total of 65,000 people have been forced to evacuate (in Spokane County alone) due to the fires no deaths or serious injuries have been confirmed.
In neighboring state Oregon, wildfires have burned more than 1.5 million acres of land this year alone.
Snohomish County firefighters answer the call
Three Everett Fire Fighters with the Everett Fire Department joined Brush 1 in Spokane on Saturday, August 1 to assist with the fires impacting the Spokane community.
“Our thoughts are with everyone affected and with the many firefighters, first responders, volunteers and community partners working together to protect lives, support families and care for the impacted communities,” said Rachel Doniger, Public Information Officer with the Everett Fire Department. “We wish all crews a safe deployment and a safe return home.”
Earlier this month, South County Fire deployed one firefighter of its Wildland Team to assist with the Bradeen Hill Fire in Stevens County, but this firefighter has been redeployed, as of Wednesday, August 5, as part of a strike team heading to Spokane. This deployment is expected to last 14 days.
South County Fire also currently has firefighters deployed to assist with the Little Giant Fire in Chelan County, and another deployed down in Oregon to assist in firefighting efforts there.
“Wildland resource deployments are coordinated through the Washington State Fire Services Resource Mobilization Plan. Requests are evaluated and matched with available personnel and equipment from fire agencies across Washington while ensuring each agency maintains adequate emergency response coverage for its own community,” said Christie Veley, Communications Director with South County Fire. “South County Fire remains available within the state mobilization system and is prepared to deploy additional qualified personnel or resources as we are able.”
Currently 11 Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue (SRFR) firefighters are actively assigned to two significant wildfire incidents across Eastern Washington as well.
S. Johnson, L. Bagley, and B. Moyes make up the SRFR Type 5 Brush Unit led by Strike Team Leader B. Kees. As of Tuesday, August 4, the Bradeen Hill fire stretched 4,325 acres and was 7% contained.
“The Bradeen Hill Fire continues to experience active fire behavior and remains in the early stages of containment,” Kaitlin King, Public Information and Education Officer with SRFR told the Lynnwood Times Tuesday.
At the Old Trails Fire in Spokane County, J. Brooks and R. Englund make up the Type 2 Tender unit, T. Rider, J. Virnig, and C. Welch make up the Type 5 Brush Unit, and J. Dickinson and B. Gardner are acting as Strike Team Leaders.
The Old Trails Fire stretched 3,621 acres and currently threatens more than 700 structures. As of Thursday, August 6, it continues to remain a significant incident with a strong focus on structure protection and supporting suppression operations in the areas of continued fire activity, SRFR informed the Lynnwood Times.
“These deployments reflect SRFR’s ongoing commitment to the Washington State Fire Services Resource Mobilization Plan while ensuring we continue to meet the operational needs of the communities we serve at home,” said King. “Our deployed personnel are representing SRFR with professionalism and are providing valuable resources and leadership to communities impacted by these fires. We will continue to monitor both incidents closely and provide updates as conditions change or personnel are reassigned or demobilized.”
Washington Governor declares federal state of emergency
On Tuesday, August 4, Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson announced that the federal government had granted his request for an emergency declaration for the devastating wildfires in Eastern Washington.
This declaration allows the federal government to mobilize their resources and personnel to support Washington’s response in addition to unlocking resources for state, local and tribal governments through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
“I appreciate the federal government moving quickly and granting our request for this emergency declaration,” Governor Ferguson said. “We are laser-focused on getting assistance to those Washingtonians who have lost so much.”
Ferguson’s declaration covers Chelan, Ferry, Okanogan, Spokane, Stevens, and Yakima counties, as well as the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakima Nation, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, and the Spokane Tribe of Indians.
He is already preparing for a request for a Major Disaster Declaration, which is the process that unlocks individual assistance to support individuals recovering from disaster, as well as providing funding for repairs of damaged state infrastructure.
Back in July, Gov. Ferguson activated 110 members of the Washington National Guard to support firefighting operations across the state, supplementing 27 helicopter crew members.
The Washington State Fire Marshal’s Office has also mobilized 13 task forces. Eight are fighting the Sinlahekin Fire in Okanogan County, and five are fighting the Bradeen Hill Fire in Stevens County.
With the Governor’s emergency declaration he also ordered a statewide burn ban on Saturday, August 1 to span until September 30.
What caused the fires?
The three main fires in Spokane are suspected to be human-caused, Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels said, beginning with an Arson-related incident which caused the Old Trails Fire before spreading.
On Tuesday, August 4, 37-year-old Aaron F. Farinacci was formally charged with first-degree arson, and his bond was set at $1 million. When he was arrested on Monday, August 3, he was found with waterproof matches and a butane lighter, court documents read.
Farinacci was also contacted about two “suspicious blaze” fires near his home in Spokane County last year but was not arrested for either one.
In 2012 Farinacci was indicted of a murder charge in connection with the 2010 fatal shooting of his father in Arizona after the two engaged in an argument about washing the dishes, according to the Associated Press.
Farinacci plead guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. He was released in December of 2020.
Health impacts of wildfire smoke
The Washington, Oregon, and Canadian wildfires have plumed the region in smoke resulting in “unhealthy air quality.” This air quality, according to the Washington State Department of Health, can cause fatigue, headache, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Children and youth, older adults, pregnant people, and those with respiratory or heart conditions are at higher risk of health problems.
The CCRM Fertility of Seattle found that IVF patients exposed to wildfire smoke during the embryo-development window of their cycle produced fewer viable embryos than those who weren’t.
Author: Kienan Briscoe
