Busy season continues for Lacey Fire District 3

Lacey Fire District 3 responded to fires on Monday and Saturday, continuing a busy trend that established itself in the first half of the year.

Through June of this year, emergency call volumes were 10 percent higher than the same period last year, Battalion Chief Steve Crimmins said Monday.

That increase likely is due to the unusually dry weather that has descended on the state, sparking grass and brush fires in Western Washington, while similar factors have led to widespread fires in Central and Eastern Washington.

About 2 a.m. Monday, Lacey fire crews were dispatched to a garage fire in the 4500 block of Beckonridge Loop Southeast. The fire was thought to have started in some bark outside the garage and then spread to the structure, damaging the siding and trim of the garage, Crimmins said.

Saturday’s fire caused even more damage, he said.

That night, a little after 9 p.m., crews arrived on Bicentennial Loop Southeast in the Tanglewilde area of the county to find what was originally reported as a grass fire had spread to a detached shed/garage. The fire was contained to the garage space, but it damaged two cars and a motorcycle, Crimmins said.

A damage estimate was not immediately available.

Additionally, Lacey Fire District 3 has sent one engine and a four-person crew to help combat the Okanogan Complex fire in Okanogan County. The crew has been assigned to protect homes and other structures in the area, he said.

This story was originally published August 24, 2015 at 2:21 PM with the headline "Busy season continues for Lacey Fire District 3."