With another fire season well underway, fire agencies in the Cle Elum area are pooling their resources more than ever to better protect people and their property. Nine families were forced to evacuate their homes after a fire in early July.
“It's kind of scary going into this season," said Fire District 7 spokesperson Richelle Risdon.
Risdon was one of the first people on the scene of a fire Fourth of July weekend where several homes were evacuated.
"We had firefighters going up onto Hart Road,” said Risdon. “There were three homes up there that they helped protect from the advancing wildfire, right up to their doorsteps.”
On the side of Highway 10, a driver changing their tire sparked flames that quickly engulfed 40 acres. A level three evacuation meant homeowners left immediately, with fire crews from neighboring districts and the forest service sweeping in; even helicopters were deployed by the Department of Natural Resources.
"They had three [helicopters] at one point dropping water on this fire to help firefighters get this under control,” said Risdon.