By Mike De Felice
Special to Kitsap Daily News
PORT ORCHARD – Kitsap County seems to have avoided an increase in brush fires this summer but the time to be concerned about fire outbreaks is coming, according to fire officials.
“Traditionally, our fire season begins now and goes through mid-September,” said Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue Chief John Oliver. “This is due to low humidity and afternoon winds — prime conditions for rapid-fire growth.”
While the number of 911 fire calls has not been high around the county, Oliver would not characterize this year as a normal fire year.
“Fire fuels [tree and underbrush] have dried out more than normal from the extreme heatwave the area recently experienced. We get nervous this time of year,” Oliver said.
The region’s drier than normal vegetation can lead to more serious fires, North Kitsap Fire and Rescue Fire Chief Dan Smith said.
“The frequency of calls may not be higher, but when we do have a brush fire, they grow at a faster rate,” the fire chief said.
Smith reported that his department experienced a number of close calls from fire outbreaks.
“We had fires along Highway 303 that were serious due to their proximity to homes,” Smith said. “Fortunately, due to a lack of high winds, we were able to jump on them quickly.”
Kitsap County has not escaped from the specter of expansive wildfires. One of the region’s largest fires took place near Horseshoe Lake in South Kitsap, which scorched 20 acres.
South Kitsap Fire and Rescue was the primary responder to the fire. Due to the size of the burn, units were called in from North and from Central Fire and Rescue, as were firefighters from Bremerton, Poulsbo, Bainbridge Island and some from out of the county, said Josh Hurguy, SKFR’s deputy chief of emergency services.
“We were able to build a firewall around it and contain it,” Hurguy said.
Fortunately, no homes or structures were damaged. Most brush fire calls this summer have been one-unit calls of short duration, Hurguy said.
Burn ban
Kitsap County is under a Phase 2 burn ban.
All outdoor recreational burning in unincorporated areas of Kitsap County is barred under the July 10 ban. No outdoor fires are allowed except in free-standing barbecue appliances using natural gas or propane fuel. Barbecue appliances should be placed on hard non-combustible surfaces, according to the Kitsap County Fire Marshal’s office.
Typically, burn bans are not lifted until fall when the seasonal rains return.
Preventative steps
As high temperatures continue to bake the Kitsap Peninsula, homeowners can take preventative steps to reduce the chance of falling victim to a brush fire. Guidance is offered on the CKFR’s website: www.ckfr.org.
If a home is adjacent to forest land or vegetation, the property owner is advised to create a 30-foot fire barrier of cleared space around structures, according to the website. Prune or remove combustible trees or shrubs that are close to the house. Do not store combustibles, such as woodpiles, under the deck or near the home.
