Dozens asked to evacuate as fire races near Carnation
Fire crews asked residents of dozens of homes near Carnation to evacuate last night as they struggled to gain control of a wildland fire that swept across 25 to 30 acres of brush and woodland.
Resident Mary Nelson watched on television as her barn crashed to the ground in a ball of flames. A few smaller buildings also were lost in the blaze, but no homes were lost and no injuries were reported. By 10 p.m., fire officials said some residents were being allowed back in their homes.
Fire crews did not have the fire contained last night and were using lights, setting up a perimeter and making plans for a renewed battle this morning with wildland teams.
More than 100 firefighters from 20 agencies as far away as Pierce and Snohomish counties joined local crews, while the King County Emergency Operations Center in Renton swung into action. The Red Cross was preparing to look after displaced residents at Carnation Elementary School.
It is unknown what caused the fire, which was first reported at 3:30 p.m. Eastside Fire and Rescue Fire Chief Lee Soptich said it appears to have begun in an abandoned gravel mining pit atop Tolt Hill, then spread through brush and dry lumber.
Soptich lives in the Swiftwater housing development that was threatened by flames. Busy on the front lines, Soptich said his wife and children were looking after his home.
Around 5:30 p.m., "they said get out," said Laurie Quist, 48, who has lived in the Swiftwater development for 11 years.
Quist packed her cat, dogs, family pictures and other belongings into her minivan. When she left she said the fire was about 100 yards from the houses. About five men, including her husband, stayed behind to watch their homes, she said.
All of the Swiftwater homes have shake roofs and are close to trees and brush.
"We've had citizens literally helping us with garden hoses to stamp out house fires," said Josie Williams, a spokeswoman with Eastside Fire and Rescue. Many watched as hot ash fell from the sky like snow.
"This sucker grew so fast," said Chris Merritt, an off-duty King County medic. He was at a Carnation auto-parts store yesterday "when I saw a wall of flame come over the hillside. Deer were jumping out of the woods and all other kinds of wildlife were trying to get out of there."
Police closed Tolt River Road between 326th Avenue Northeast and 329th Avenue Northeast, worried burning trees would fall on nearby power lines.
To douse flames, a helicopter from the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office drew 200 gallons of water at a time from the nearby Tolt River, another river and a lake.
Carnation Mayor Stuart Lisk said the abundant supply of water nearby was crucial because the city still uses septic tanks and has other infrastructure problems. The city's water supply is piped in from nearby rivers and streams.
"Without question it is putting a strain on our water system," he said last night. "We are monitoring it carefully."
Nelson, 75, was at a friend's house when she watched on television as her barn collapsed. She earlier had been told by firefighters that it was too dangerous to return home.
"It's kind of sad. It must have been there 70 years," Nelson said. "Since 1955 we have been in the same house with the same barn."
Nelson said she had been renting the barn to a neighbor. Three horses in the barn appeared to have been evacuated, she said.
Resident Arlene Stevens watched from her kitchen window as the fire spread on Tolt Hill. Before she noticed the smoke, she wondered why her toy poodle, Huey, was upset.
The blaze is just the latest in what has been a busy season for area firefighters.
On Monday, 14 Shoreline homes were damaged when winds fed a brush fire behind the homes in the 16100 block of Midvale Avenue North. Earlier this month, a lightning caused a fire in Snohomish County, east of Darrington, that destroyed more than 100 acres.
In July, a brush fire burned 40 to 50 acres of open land near Redmond's Willow Run Golf Course.
Meanwhile, a nearly 5,000-acre fire continues to burn in the Colville National Forest.
It's been an exceptionally dry summer, said Dana Felton, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service. Only 0.89 inches of rain has been recorded at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport since June 1, about a third of the 2.86 inches that normally falls in that time. It hasn't rained since Aug. 10, when 0.13 inches was recorded at the airport.
Felton said there is little chance of rain anytime soon.
"The foothills and the mountains might get a little, but it's a bit of a two-edged sword because they might get lightning," he said. "Down here in the lowlands — the Seattle area — I don't think we're going to see anything for another week."
Seattle Times Eastside bureau reporter Mira Oberman contributed to this report. Sara Jean Green: 206-515-5654 or sgreen@seattletimes.com
Nick Perry: 206-515-5639