'Something different about this summer': Firefighters worried more brush fires will erupt near homes

SNOHOMISH COUNTY -- Fire crews are mopping up hotspots near the Eastmont neighborhood east of Everett after a quick-moving brush fire erupted there Wednesday.

The hot, dry summer has firefighters sounding the alarm, warning homeowners to be ready for wildfires on the west side of the Cascades.

Wednesday’s brush fire moved fast. At one point, firefighters put more than a dozen homes on alert to be ready to evacuate.

But crews quickly got the fire under control.

Yet, they're worried that that fires like it, near neighborhoods, are only the beginning.

Firefighters still keep a close eye on the 3-acre blaze that filled the sky with smoke Wednesday.

“Something is different about this summer,” said Snohomish County Fire District 1 Capt. Shaughn Maxwell. “Can’t remember in 20 years when we’ve had a wildfire strike team requested inside the urban area.”

The difference for this fire season is the higher risk for wildfires in Western Washington – and there could be more brush fires that start uncomfortably close to neighborhoods.

“We’re concerned about it. And we’re saying if this occurs this summer, is this a trend that we need to be prepared for?" Maxwell asked.

Bernadette Pokswinski’s house is only a quarter-mile from Wednesday’s brush fire, and in the dry conditions, that’s too close to home.

“A little concerned about the weather,” said Pokswinski, “I’m sure everybody’s concerned about the weather.”

Firefighters said the lush green vegetation is deceptive because underneath it there is still plenty of dry fuel ready to burn.

“There is a lot of dead vegetation, dead logs, dead needles that have built up for 20-50 years,” said Maxwell.

Some fire officials worry the risk of brush fires could become the new norm for people living west of the Cascades.

“It looks like we’re about 30 days ahead in our summer for dryness, except we’re exceptionally dry,” said Maxwell.

The cause of Wednesday’s brush fire is still under investigation.

Firefighters said it’s a reminder for homeowners to create a defensible space around structures in case brush fires happen close to home.