‘Unusual and concerning’ fires in Mason County prompt investigation

The Mason County Sheriff’s Office and Washington State Department of Natural Resources are investigating what has caused a suspiciously large number of fires to break out around the county in the past week.

According to Hilary Franz, the Commissioner of Public Lands who heads the DNR, crews have responded to eight fires on DNR-protected lands in the Mason County area since Monday.

“This number of fires in the same area is unusual and concerning,” Franz wrote on Twitter. “DNR police are involved and assisting Mason County Sheriff (Casey) Salisbury’s investigation into the cause of these fires.”

The fires had burned through more than 75 acres as of Tuesday afternoon, Franz wrote.

“If you see something suspicious, please contact local authorities before these fires endanger someone’s life,” she added.

Chief Deputy Ryan Spurling told Q13 FOX crews have responded to more than 15 fires in a short amount of time, and many of the fire scenes had similarities.

Lauren Smith: 360-754-5473, @smithlm12

This story was originally published July 18, 2018 at 8:43 AM.