By Niki Cleary, photos by Cody Fay
Around 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Tulalip Emergency Management began receiving reports of a smoke plume on the reservation. The plume was visible from I-5 and Marysville, and smoke and ash filled the air. Fire crews were dispatched about 20 minutes later. Tulalip Public Works staff used a drone to find the fire, which was burning on uninhabited Tulalip land between 14th Avenue NE and 6th Avenue NE.
By the time it was located, the fire had spread to around two acres of forested land. Public Works, Department of Natural Resources, and Fire crews accessed the property via a gated logging road located on 14th. During the early control stage, residents were advised to shelter in place to reduce traffic.
Public works teams brought in heavy equipment and dug a fire line. By 11:00 p.m., the fire was contained. The nature of the land made it difficult to extinguish the fire, so it was left to burn itself out.
“Tal and his team did a fantastic job last night. They made the difference and stopped that fire from spreading,” said Tulalip Bay Fire Chief Ryan Shaughnessy. “His team is well-trained and was obviously prepared for a wildland fire incident. Our community is very fortunate to have them, as well as the heavy equipment available to us. Not every community has a public works team that can cut a fire line and create access for fire crews like they did.”
By the time it was extinguished at around 5:30 p.m. on Friday, the fire had consumed about 4 acres. Crews sprayed smoldering areas and will continue to monitor the site to ensure it does not reignite.
Emergency Manager Angel Cortez said the quick response and weather conditions helped prevent a more serious fire. No cause has been identified.