Fire Chief’s Message

By now, we can expect our PNW summers to include scorching temperatures, dry weather, and the threat of wildfire. Although the natural wildfire cycle here can spread well over 100 years, alterations to the natural landscape and human activities mean we are more prone to wildfire than ever. The entire island is in a wildland-urban interface area (WUI). This means homes and businesses are adjacent to or are intermingled with the natural environment, creating challenges when a fire does occur.

Despite advances in staffing, equipping, and training our personnel to fight wildfires, the Fire Department alone cannot prevent all wildfires on the island from potentially doing harm. Since most wildfires are human-caused, prevention and preparedness require everyone to do their part to improve outcomes. 

Please don't be the spark that creates the next wildfire! Here are some simple things you can do to avoid creating sparks:

• Avoid parking hot vehicles in dry grass: 
• Don't drive vehicles with internal combustion engines on dry leaves or overgrown grass.
• If you're towing a trailer, please do a maintenance check to ensure the tires are not worn, the bearings and axles are greased, and safety chains are properly in place and not dragging on the ground.
• Lawnmowers, edgers, trimmers, chainsaws, tractors, and other yard tools can spark a wildfire. Never operate equipment that produces sparks near dry vegetation, and mow before 10 a.m., but never when it's windy or excessively dry. Metal blades striking rocks can create a spark that might start a fire! 

Many resources specifically address wildfire and preparedness on Bainbridge Island. You can find them at bifd.org/fire-safety, bainbridgewa.gov/1163/Wildfire-Response, and www.bainbridgeprepares.org.

I hope you have a fun and safe PNW summer!

Jared Moravec, Fire Chief