Fire crews use drone, bulldozer to control fires near Toppenish

Multiple small fires near the Yakima River outside of Toppenish were fought and controlled by fire crews with the help of a bulldozer and a drone on Monday, according to Yakima County Fire District 5. YCFD5 Deputy Fire Chief Joel Byam said the fire started at 5:30 p.m. and burned two acres before crews established a perimeter at 7:30 p.m. YCFD5 says thick vegetation kept crews from getting to the fire, which was discovered to be several small fires through the use of a drone. Crews were forced to wait until a bulldozer arrived to gain access to the fires. YCFD5 crews and members of Yakama Nation Fire Management worked to eventually contain the fire. YCFD5 noes that the technology used to fight the fire, including the drone and the bulldozer, were "crucial to the mitigation of this incident."
NBC Right Now

Bellevue strip mall fire leads to huge response, evacuations

It could have been much worse. Eastside firefighters were called to a strip mall Wednesday morning in the Bel-Red neighborhood on Northwest 20th Street. When they arrived, they found a fire in some sort of appliance in the garage area of the strip mall. Eight businesses were evacuated and more than half a dozen engines from Bellevue, and Redmond Fire Departments came to the scene along with nearly two dozen fire fighters. “Fire looks like it got into the overhead space and was in the attic,” Bellevue Fire Battalion Chief Doug Halbert told KIRO Newsradio. “We did have to put a hole in the roof to let the heat and smoke out. That, of course, does some damage.” Most damage was caused by smoke. The fire was contained quickly. It was a nervous time for affected business owners.
MyNorthwest

Apartment fire on Spokane’s South Hill leaves one injured, ten displaced

A fire at a home split into apartments in Spokane's lower South Hill sent one person to the hospital with moderate burns and displaced ten people. Several units responded to the fire at 1203 W 8th Avenue around 11:53 a.m. Tuesday. According to a PIO at the scene, the fire started in one of the upstairs apartments. The fire was knocked down after 30 minutes. According to the Spokane Fire Department (SFD), ten people living in the building were displaced as a result of the fire. One man ran out of the home with moderate smoke inhalation and light burns before he was taken to Sacred Heart Medical Center. Two dogs and a pet rabbit were also rescued from the building as crews battled the flames. At this time, the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
KREM-TV CBS 2 Spokane

Longview firefighter rescues man from slough in coordinated emergency response

Officials with the Longview Fire Department responded to a distress call reporting a male was in the slough near the 3600 block of Oak Street. “Two minutes and thirty-nine seconds after dispatch, firefighters arrived and discovered an adult male partially submerged in the water. Lieutenant Graham Lasse, demonstrating remarkable commitment to duty, immediately donned a life jacket and jumped into the water while other firefighters deployed rescue ropes,” Longview Fire said in a press release. Lieutenant Lasse was able to quickly reach the hypothermic and exhausted individual, pulling him to safety on the opposite bank, officials said. A coordinated effort by emergency responders allowed the victim to be safely removed from the slough. Officials say the victim "was found stuporous and shivering."
KATU-TV ABC 2 Portland

Follow Up: New Spokane Fire Chief plans to tackle city’s drug and mental health crisis

Spokane's new Fire Chief is ready to tackle some of the city's greatest challenges as she assumes her new role. Chief Julie O'Berg was named Spokane Fire Department's newest Chief yesterday by Mayor Lisa Brown. She has served as Interim Chief since January. "It's good. It's humbling," said Chief O'Berg. "It's been a really great reaction from the community and the department." Before Interim Chief, O'Berg worked as the department's Deputy Chief of Operations. She began with SFD in 2020. "I think it helps that I'm not brand new to the department," said Chief O'Berg. Chief O'Berg is already familiar with Spokane's most pervasive problems and wants to emphasize tackling overdoses and the behavioral health crisis.
KXLY-TV ABC 4 Spokane