Washington Crews Keep Brush Fire Away From Homes

EAST VALLEY, Wash. -- A three-alarm fire burned through more than 100 acres of brush in East Valley on Monday afternoon, coming within mere yards of several homes.

No structure damage had been reported as of Monday evening.

By 5 p.m., the fire had been doused near the homes on St. Hilaire Road where it started, but it was still advancing up the ridge into the Yakima Training Center, spurred north by winds that had been gaining momentum for most of the afternoon.

"The wind is a major role," said Lt. Jordon Munson with the East Valley Fire Department. "We're having significant runs uphill and into the canyons. ... It's not contained."

The call came in at 3:30 p.m. Monday, and Munson said it took about 20 minutes to control the fire near the homes and get it away from the neighborhood.

Four homes were threatened by the fire, but none were evacuated. Homeowners stood at the back edge of their lawns with garden hoses as fire trucks doused the blaze.

About 5 p.m., the training center sent out a helicopter with a giant bucket to dump water on the blaze.

In all, about 40 firefighters were at the scene with trucks from East Valley, the training center, Union Gap, Yakima, Selah, West Valley, Naches and Naches Heights, said Andy Wangler, acting lieutenant of operations with the Selah Fire Department.

"It's pretty early to have a fire this size," Wangler said, explaining that he'd normally expect to see a fire like this more toward the end of June. "The fuels are definitely drier this year and it's pretty dense compared to last year because of the light season" in 2011.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, though some homeowners heard it was started by a dump truck.

Munson and Wangler said it started out as two fires, then merged into one.

Homeowner Bruce Rose, who has lived on St. Hilaire Road for 22 years, says this is the third time he's seen it burn like this. The fire came within feet of his back fence.

"We've had it closer, but this is fine -- that was close enough," he said jokingly. It didn't take long for the fire to sweep across the brush, he added.

Jeff Owen, a former neighbor who used to work with the East Valley Fire Department, was in the area and came by to help out.

"It's pretty typical; it just travels fast," he said.

Rose's sister, Cheryl Rose, was out at the house, too, and said she was worried at first about her brother's boat.

"It feels like, well, what's (the fire) going to do?" she said. "Is it going to take something that belongs to us, or not?"

Copyright 2012 - Yakima Herald-Republic, Wash.

McClatchy-Tribune News Service