It’s possible that the significant increase in fire-related deaths in 2020 correlated with more people at home during the pandemic.
On Thursday, Washington State Fire Marshal Charles LeBlanc released 2020 data pertaining to the number of fatalities caused by fires. In total, there were 75 total fire deaths in 2020, a 39% increase from 2019.
Locally, two deaths were reported in Chelan County, two in Grant County, and four were reported in Okanogan County.
The total number of fire deaths seen in 2020 is the highest number seen in almost a decade when 70 deaths were reported in 2011. Surprisingly, last year’s destructive fire season was not a key contributor.