Wildfire danger is very high for our region, and a Full Burn Ban is now in effect for Anderson Island due to current hot, dry conditions. Fire safety burn bans on island restrict outdoor burning to protect people and property. The current Full Burn Ban prohibits recreational campfires and charcoal grills, as well as burning yard debris.
FIRE PROTECTION JURISDICTION
Anderson Island Fire/Rescue under leadership of Fire Chief Bixler can, as the authority having jurisdiction over Pierce County Fire Protection District No. 27, restrict outdoor burning and institute a full burn ban to mitigate fire risk under current conditions.
Neighboring counties have enacted full burn bans over the past month, recreational fires have been banned in more than a dozen counties, and Washington State Parks banned the use of park grills at the beginning of fire season this summer due to these very concerns.
ISLAND FIRE PLANNING
We have a resource plan in place. A large brush fire response will scramble our two fire engines, two brush trucks, and two tender trucks to respond. Tender trucks are water tanks on wheels. Our fire department’s two tenders hold 2,000 and 3,300 gallons of water, respectively. If the incident is larger than initially reported, we have mutual aid agreements in place with other fire districts and first responder agencies who will provide additional resources.
PIERCE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
Any evacuation for Anderson Island would be led by Pierce County Sheriff, in conjunction with the Department of Emergency Management. Anderson Island Fire/Rescue would act as support during the incident. While we do not have a siren system in place on the island at this time, the best way that citizens can stay aware of any developing situation is to sign up for critical alert services like PC Alert. You can sign up online at piercecountywa.gov/alert. You can also text PCALERT to: 888-777. You will be sent a link with registration information. Or you can sign up by calling (253) 798-6595. Further information about alerts can be found in our January post on the fire department’s website at: andersonislandfire.org
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Another step community members can take to decrease their fire risk is to sign up for a free Wildfire Risk Reduction Survey. You can sign up by contacting Anderson Island Fire/Rescue at (253) 884-4040 and requesting an appointment. It is always a good time to take stock of your supplies and have a “Grab-N-Go” ready kit available in the event you need to leave your house quickly. A handy list for these ready kits can be found on our website as well as in brochures available at the fire station.
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