By Shawn Dick, photos courtesy of Fire Chief Ryan Shaughnessy and Battalion Chief Bobby Guadamuz
As wildfires and smoke continue affecting Indigenous communities across the state, the Tulalip Bay Fire Department offered aid with the Kaiser Canyon fire located within the boundaries of the Colville Reservation. Washington State emergency services are stretched thin, and after multiple evacuation orders, the fire department responded on July 23 by sending a team that included medics and a brush truck.
The fire medics were on an eight-day deployment, tasked with being available to firefighters working on the fire line to provide immediate emergency care, manage heat illness, and treat trauma in high-stress environments. Their constant presence keeps crews safe and lets firefighters focus on their work.
Some of the challenges crews faced were the smoke and heat. Tulalip firefighter/EMT Thomas Bennett said, “I live in Wenatchee, and I have been highly impacted by the smoke. Right now, Wenatchee has the worst air quality in the state.”
The brush truck, a 4×4 off-road fire truck, was assigned to a 14-day deployment for mop-up duty. Working in areas where the wildfire has already burned through, teams are split up by grid lines, focusing on quelling pop-up fires and taking the heat out of the ground. Once a section of the grid is finished, that area can be considered contained.
Tulalip firefighter/paramedic Jake Kelly has experience working with the brush trucks after being deployed to Coulee City earlier in the year. Kelly said, “We were lucky enough to get on the night shift; the day shift has heat, high winds, and humidity.”
The Tulalip Board of Directors approved $50,000 in cash donations to help the impacted Colville Reservation community. Tulalip tribal chairman Hazen Shopbell said, “We are looking into additional help for other tribes impacted by the wildfires.”
As drought conditions persist, the Tulalip Tribes’ burn ban remains in effect until further notice. Fireworks and all outdoor burning are strictly prohibited, except for authorized cooking and ceremonial fires.
A donation drive is being held at the Recover Workforce Center, located at 7627 41st Ave NW, Tulalip, WA 98271. Monday-Friday, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm. Items being requested are:
Gently used and clean blankets, pillows, socks, and (new) undergarments.
Toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo/conditioner, deodorant, feminine hygiene products, hairbrushes, and hand sanitizer.
Diapers and baby wipes.