Brush fire handled

Published 1:32 pm Thursday, December 11, 2008

By Teresa Herriman, The Courier-Herald

Local firefighters responded to the first wildfire of what many are predicting will be a dangerous season.

The Auburn Fire Department was dispatched the afternoon of April 13 to a brush fire near Panorama Drive Southeast.

An Auburn Public Works employee reported the brush fire, located at the bottom of a steep 200-foot ravine. When firefighters arrived, flames were traveling uphill by 20 mile per hour winds toward several homes.

Flames were extinguished in 30 minutes and no homes were damaged. However, firefighters remained on the scene for another hour, monitoring the situation and digging out places where the fire had extended into root structures.

East Pierce Fire and Rescue, along with four other departments, assisted.

The fire is under investigation. A fireworks-related incident had been reported in the same area the previous day.

Although it is early in the season, experts report conditions are drier than normal. Area fire departments recommend residents use caution in and around flammable vegetation and take appropriate precautions to protect their homes.

Homeowners living in wooded areas should clear combustible shrubbery from a 30-foot area around their homes. Fire resistant roofing and siding materials also help protect homes from wildfires.