SEATTLE — The recurring dry weather and subsequent brush fires that have plagued Puget Sound for the last week are causing first responders to expect more in the near future.
Thursday morning yet another fire raged between two busy stretches of Interstate 5 near Marysville. Firefighters arrived at the scene and doused the fire but the speed at which the flames spread is a good example of why we have been seeing so many fires along the side of roadways in recent weeks.
KIRO 7 spoke with Christie Veley of the Marysville Fire Department who stressed that whether it’s a busy downtown in Seattle or a remote stretch of I-5 up north, dry conditions are everywhere and a brush fire could start at any time.
“That’s just kind of how our region is laid out along I-5. There’s just a lot of brush and all that brush is just not getting water. We’ve only had one weekend of significant rain since summer started and it’s just not enough,” said Veley. “If you don’t need to burn, don’t.”
Seattle firefighters have responded to over 200 brush fires in the city this year so far and expect more in the coming weeks.
The city has also implemented a burn ban until the dry weather stops.