Western WA firefighters deploy across the state to fight wildfires

PUYALLUP, Wash. - Firefighters from across Western Washington are responding to Eastern and Central Washington as wildfires continue to level homes and burn across the region.

Local fire agencies say mutual aid across the state is crucial, noting that Western Washington fire districts could face similar wildland fire threats later in the season.

Western WA agencies send mutual aid

Central Pierce Fire and Rescue deployed resources to Tonasket to support local firefighting efforts, balancing emergency deployments with local staffing needs.

Central Pierce Fire & Rescue spokesperson Steve Richards noted that departments must carefully manage resources so they do not deplete their own districts before fire conditions peak in Western Washington.

"It’s just heartbreaking what they’re going through, and we want to be there to help support our neighbors," Richards said. "We typically see this in Eastern Washington, two, three, four weeks later, and we see it in Western Washington."

Active firefighting and thin resources

Eastside Fire and Rescue deployed three firefighters and a battalion chief to Spokane as part of a strike team that includes firefighters from Bothell, Gig Harbor, Bainbridge, Bremerton, and Kitsap.

Eastside spokesperson Catherine Imboden said crews face active, high-intensity firefighting conditions with limited personnel spread across multiple fire lines.

"They were doing very large air tanker drops on a home right behind him," Imboden said. "It's still a very active firefight out there."

She told FOX 13 Seattle that the battalion chief mentioned there's not very many firefighters, and there's a lot of homes, because resources are thin as so many fires burn across the state.

Red Cross opens shelters for displaced residents

At the Spokane Convention Center, the American Red Cross opened an evacuation shelter where more than 500 people stayed overnight, with officials expecting that number to grow as evacuations continue.

Kristin Goodwillie, communications manager at the Spokane Convention Center, said residents were forced to flee quickly with minimal belongings, pets, and the clothes on their backs.

"We are seeing hundreds of people come in to put their heads down, to sleep, to have a warm meal, or to charge their cell phones," Goodwillie said.

Demand escalates for emergency relief

The Red Cross has opened more emergency shelters this fire season than all of the previous season, deploying volunteers from Seattle and preparing for hundreds more to arrive from across the country.

Disaster response officials emphasize that financial donations to the Red Cross remain the most effective way for the public to assist, while urging all Washington residents to maintain an evacuation plan and a ready go-bag.

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