Fires flare over independence weekend

Published 1:10 pm Thursday, December 11, 2008

By Teresa Herriman

The Courier-Herald

Going into the holiday weekend, local firefighters were expecting the worst. But despite a potentially dangerous wildfire, the weekend was relatively calm.

"We had a few more calls than usual, but not what we'd typically see on a Fourth of July," said John McDonald, East Pierce Fire and Rescue assistant chief.

McDonald was initially concerned, given the prediction of warm weather and an extended holiday. Cooler-than-anticipated temperatures and some rain may have helped avoid a repeat of last year's record number of emergency calls.

Units from East Pierce, Auburn, Sumner and District 12 responded Friday to a garage fire on Tapps Island. Approximately $10,000 to $20,000 worth of damage was caused by the fire that originated in a pile of linseed oil-soaked rags. The homeowner, who was awakened by the fire, said she had been treating her deck with the solution the day before.

The fire was confined to the garage with minor smoke damage to the house.

Sunday afternoon, Betty and Harry Corliss were preparing for a barbecue when they noticed smoke coming from the hillside below their home on Myers Road.

Personnel from East Pierce Fire and Rescue and the state's Department of Natural Resources were joined by a crew from the Washington Women's Correctional Center at Purdy to handle the fire.

"It was very scary because they couldn't find a way to get into it," Betty Corliss said.

A helicopter was called due to the steep slope and the close proximity to a number of homes. After a closer assessment, the helicopter was canceled and the fire was fought on the ground.

The fire, located mid-slope between Myers Road and state Route 410, burned less than an acre of hillside and got within approximately 150 yards of homes, including the Corliss'.

The cause of the fire was not immediately clear, reported McDonald. There were reports of people camping in the brush but given the thick brush, masses of blackberry bushes and steep terrain, it is unlikely anyone was living there, he said.

The fire department continued to check the area for hot spots.

Elsewhere, the department responded to a couple of small grass fires that were likely caused by fireworks, he said. Some minor auto and boating accidents brought the call total to around 26 total, slightly more than a typical weekend.

Teresa Herriman can be reached at therriman@cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/courierherald