Thieves steal portable water tank, endanger wildfire fighters
BRINNON, Wash. – Investigators are on the hunt for a thief accused of stealing a folding water tank used by firefighters to help extinguish a small fire on the Olympic Peninsula.
Fire crews are now several days behind schedule because they had to scramble to bring a new source of water to the fire lines.
The 10-acre Cabin Fire is burning in the Olympic National Forest and it isn’t easy for firefighters to get there.
“It’s not like they can just walk in with their packs on them,” said Jennie Reynolds.
Firefighters stashed thousands of gallons of water in the tank but heartless thieves stole it last week.
“I don’t know why they stole it,” said Kelvin Thompson, of the U.S. Forest Service.
Thompson said the Cabin Fire, while contained, burns in an extremely remote location.
But after it was stolen, Thompson said his firefighters were exposed to danger without any way to quickly extinguish flare-ups.
“It exposed them longer out there,” he said, “We were hoping to have this forest fire wrapped up days go.”
The theft has customers at the Brinnon General Store talking and wondering why anyone would steal from firefighters while the fire danger is so high.
“I think that they’re a bunch of idiots,” said Reynolds of the thief. “That’s unacceptable.”
The portable water tank is worth around $2,500.
People who have information in this case are asked to call the Forest Service at 360-765-2218.