Firefighters attack brush fire Sunday in North Bend
Published 6:44 pm Monday, July 20, 2015
A brush fire that broke out Sunday afternoon in North Bend brought a prompt and aggressive response from city and area firefighters.
Along with the U.S. Forest Service fire team, five area fire agencies sent support and called in volunteers to provide backfill coverage at each of the fire stations during and after the fire.
Because of the warm weather and a sudden wind, North Bend officials responded to the fire as if it were a worst-case scenario, before they could assess it.
“They were really concerned that it was going to catch some oomph from the weather,” said Police Chief Steve McCulley.
“We even made arrangements for a water drop from the sky,” said North Bend City Administrator Londi Lindell.
The water drop turned out to be unnecessary, since the fire was contained between the Tannerwood trail and the Snoqualmie River. No homes or structures were involved in the fire, or threatened by the flames. The wind may have helped to contain the fire by pushing it toward the river, according to some reports.
The fire was reported between noon and 1 p.m., and by 4 p.m., Lindell said, it was effectively contained.
McCulley said after the fire was contained, “they lit a backfire, which they’ll commonly do just to get rid of the fuel.”
King County fire investigators have not yet reported on what caused the fire, but they are expected to give a report this week.
The city of North Bend is subject to a burn ban, as of June 15. The ban, which runs through Sept. 15, prohibits most fires, with the exception of charcoal and propane grills. Burn bans are also in place statewide on all DNR and State Parks land.
