Monday fire near Rochester put neighborhood, freeway in jeopardy
A fire that started in a residential area in Rochester Monday was pushed around by changing wind conditions and required aid from multiple departments to be put out.
The fire started in a field near Case Road and 183rd Avenue in Rochester around 4:15 p.m. When firefighters from West Thurston Fire were dispatched to the scene, they could see a large pillar of smoke emanating from the area and decided to immediately call in air support from the Department of Natural Resources, which used a helicopter to dump water on the fire.
The 1.5-acre fire grew rapidly in a field close to a few homes and the Scatter Creek Game Reserve, according to firefighters. West Thurston Fire, the Department of Natural Resources and four other fire departments battled the blaze, which had burned 5 acres and jumped Case Road before it was out.
According to a post from West Thurston Fire, 25 fire fighters in total responded.
Investigators determined the fire was started when someone mowing the grass near the Scatter Creek Game Reserve hit a rock with the mower’s blades, which sent sparks onto the dried grass. West Thurston Fire Operations Chief Robert Scott said the hot and dry conditions made it easier for the fire to spread.
“(Fires) get exponentially more difficult and challenging as the season goes on,” Scott said. “Everything dries out, including your large fuels, like larger trees. So, once those become tinder... it doesn’t take a lot of fire behind it to cause a lot of damage in a very short amount of time, to the point where it’s difficult to stay in front of it.”
Scott said the DNR’s helicopter has been a life saver when it comes to putting out fires this summer. “The Department of Natural Resources use of air resources has been a game changer this season in keeping fires small. and I cannot express that enough.”
No one was injured in the fire and no buildings were damaged by it, according to West Thurston Fire. DNR crews stayed at the scene last night and returned to it early this morning to make sure embers didn’t restart the fire.
This story was originally published July 26, 2021 at 7:38 PM.