VRFA Blotter: house/brush fires, pallet on foot, dog bite & more

Here are 911 Calls for Service responded to by the Valley Regional Fire Authority (VRFA) from July 18 – 23, 2023:

• House Fire: (Lakeland) On Tuesday, July 18th at 02:26 a.m., firefighters responded to a house fire in the Lakeland Hills Neighborhood. Firefighters arrived on location and found trees on fire that were extending to the house. Hose lines were quickly deployed, and the fire was extinguished. The interior of the house was checked for fire extension, and none was found. Puget Sound Energy was called to the scene to address fire involvement with the utilities. All of the hazards at the scene were mitigated and the house was turned over to the homeowners.
• Aid Call: (Algona) On Tuesday, July 18th at 6:30 p.m., firefighters responded to an elderly male that had dropped a pallet on his foot and had a laceration that would not stop bleeding. Firefighters were able to stop the bleeding and the patient was transported to the hospital by family.
• Brush Fire: (Auburn) On Wednesday, July 19th at 4:02 p.m., firefighters responded to reports of a grass fire at a local park. On scene VRFA personnel found an area approximately 150’ x 150’ on fire, identified areas to let the grass continue to burn, so as to consume receptive fuel, and applied water in high-risk areas to prevent further spread and stop any damage from occurring. No structures were damaged in the park and the fire was contained to the grassy lawn.
• Wildfire: (Bonney Lake) On Wednesday, July 19th at 7:43 a.m., firefighters responded with East Pierce Fire Rescue to a wildfire along Lake Tapps in a heavily wooded area. Firefighters used portable pumps, hoses, and hand tools to ensure the fire was extinguished and could no longer be a threat to surrounding neighborhoods.
• Brush Fire: (Lea Hill) On Wednesday, July 19th at 6:24 p.m., firefighters responded to a fire in a wooded area near a neighborhood. Firefighters arrived to find a neighbor attempting to extinguish with a garden hose. Firefighters were able to apply more water and dig out hot spot areas of the fire. The fire was contained to a small 20’x20’ area. No injuries or property damage resulted from this fire.
• Brush Fire: (Auburn) On Thursday, July 20th at 4:15 p.m., firefighters responded to a brush fire near Highway 18. Firefighters from all over the zone responded to the incident and extinguished the fire with hand tools and water.
• Brush Fire: (Unincorporated Auburn) On Thursday, July 20th at 3:25 p.m., firefighters responded to Mountainview Fire and Rescue’s response area with Tender 334 and Brush 334 for a 2 Alarm brush fire. VRFA crews were assigned to use a chainsaw and hand tools to separate the burned and unburned areas, creating a gap to prevent fire spread.
• Residential Fire: (Auburn) On Friday, July 21st at 3:20 p.m., firefighters responded to reports of a car fire. Upon arrival, the car was fully involved and a residential exposure had fire impingement. Working with additional VRFA units, firefighters extinguished both the car fire and residential exposure with hose lines then overhauled the area. There were no injuries reported and a VRFA fire investigator was requested to determine the cause of the fire.
• Aid Call: (Lea Hill) On Friday, July 21st at 7:09 p.m., firefighters responded to an 11-year-old girl who was bit multiple times by her neighbor’s dog. The patient was treated at the scene and transported to MultiCare Auburn Medical Center by private ambulance.
• Brush Fire: (Pacific) On Sunday, July 23rd at 5:03 p.m., firefighters responded to a brush fire on Highway 167.Firefighters arrived to find a fast-moving brush fire spreading from multiple points and quickly upgraded to a 2nd Alarm. With the help of neighboring jurisdictions, firefighters extinguished the fire with hose lines and overhauled the area.