09/21/2008: "Rains Are Welcome"

(Firefighters James Scheib, Chad Kimple and Carl Coburn fight heavy brush and steep ground to mop up the remains of the Crow Valley Wildland Fire -Tom Carter photo)

Orcas first responders have had a busy few days, and two wildland fires just before the rains came added to the work load.

Orcas Island Fire Department responded to a wildland fire on Crow Valley Road Tuesday, just after 10 am. Brush 21 and Eastsound Engine 21 arrived to find flames moving quickly up a hillside in heavy underbrush and timber.

Firefighters were able to knock the fire down before it was able to spread towards homes and Turtleback Mountain Preserve. The road was closed so that water drop tanks could be set up near the base of the fire.

Engines and water tenders from Orcas, Westsound and Rosario also responded to supply additional water, tools and manpower. An aid unit was kept on scene for several hours to insure all firefighters were given a chance to rehab.

The rough terrain and heavy concentration of dry fuels created hazards for firefighters. The fire was contained late in the day and an excavator was brought in to help with mop up. The specialized brush mower cleared thick scotch broom and wild rose. It also removed dangerous burning snags, which endangered unburned areas due to sparks. The fire department stayed through the night to insure there was no additional flare-up.

At approximately 6 pm a second wildland fire was discovered off of Dolphin Bay Road. Lt. Jeff Jones spotted a large column of smoke and investigated to find an approximately 100 by 100 foot area of heavy timber fully involved. Firefighter’s quickly organized a team to move from the Crow Valley fire to Dolphin Bay Road. The fire was brought under control quickly but full containment took another 2 hours due to dangerous snags and several burning logs.

The fire department continued to check on both fires and extinguished several hot spot throughout the following day. Crow Valley Road was reopened at approximately 11 am the following day.

The Crow Valley fire was started by a mower but the cause of the second fire is undetermined.