SPOKANE, Wash. — An important prevention strategy, along with the hard work of fire crews, is to thank for the quick end to the Cemetery Fire that burned 44 acres near downtown Spokane in late July.
On July 26, flames erupted off Government Way near the Indian Canyon Golf Course, on the edge of Greenwood Cemetery in Spokane.
Fire crews worked on the ground and in the air to quickly knock down the fire and save many nearby homes. Only one outbuilding was lost in the fire.
According to fire officials, the fire was quickly controlled and extinguished thanks to the area having previously undergone a fuel reduction process.
“We had much more success in the areas that were treated. It was safer and more accessible for everyone, said Nick Jeffries of Spokane Fire.
The City of Spokane, Department of Natural Resources and other local partners worked outside of the fire season to manage the conditions of our local forest.
Together, they trimmed trees, cleared brush and mulched the forest ground to mitigate the intensity of potential future fires.
Fuel reduction is also providing jobs to the fire crews who fight fires all summer-long but are let go in October.
“What happens in October, is typically, the DNR will layoff a certain number of folks and they won’t come back on until that March or April timeframe. Well, that window is the perfect window to do fuel reduction,” said Jeffries.
Jeffries said it also benefits the crews when people stay employed throughout the year, because when they gear up for fire season in the spring, they are well-trained.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Cemetery Fire stops spreading in Spokane
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