PORT ANGELES – A cluster of small brush fires in the past week prompted a KONP listener to suggest we look into whether or not they might be associated with homeless encampments.
Fires in Shane Park, near White Creek and in an area along the Olympic Discovery Trail illustrate just how dangerously dry conditions are this summer, but can we point the finger at unauthorized campfires?
Port Angeles Fire Chief Ken Dubuc told KONP he doesn’t see any evidence of that, nor does he have any reason to believe that someone is going around starting fires.
In fact, he’s not even seeing any particular uptick in brush fires this season. What he is seeing is an increase in the amount of illegal burning on private property, and wanted to get the word out.
“An increase in the number of unauthorized burns that we’re going to, where people are new to the area and don’t realize it, but burning is not allowed in the city of Port Angeles or in the urban growth area. So we’re talking about people burning leaves or burning tree branches and stuff like that. The only burning that’s allowed in the city is in a fire pit or in a barbecue. So people can’t just you know, burn leaves and burn yard debris in the city or in the city limits. If people are having a backyard burn, even in an authorized fire pit or something like that, they need to be careful. In the afternoon the wind picks up. You want to be careful about that. You always want to make sure you have a hose or an extinguisher available and you know, definitely don’t want to be dumping charcoal briquettes out. That’s definitely something people need to understand.”
Dubuc added that if you see suspicious smoke, don’t wait or ignore it. Call 911 immediately.
Staff photo: PAFD responds to a brush fire in Shane Park, July 22.