Bainbridge Island Fire Marshal Luke Carpenter said rising summer temperatures have dramatically increased the danger of wildfires on the island.
Currently, the fire danger is “moderate” – which could be raised if temperatures stay high and rain continues to not fall in the near future.
Currently, only recreational fires are allowed on Bainbridge. Carpenter’s guidelines for recreational fires include:
– Fires may not be larger than 3 feet in diameter.
– Only dry, natural fire wood may be burned.
– Fires should not be closer than 25 feet to combustible structures such as houses, fences and sheds.
– A garden hose should be kept handy to extinguish a fire after people are done with it.
– Watch for sparks and embers blowing in the wind.
– An adult should be present at all times.
– Extinguish all fires before leaving a site.
“People don’t realize we have a potential wildfire problem on the island,” Bainbridge Fire Chief Hank Teran said recently. “If we have dry climate and proper fuel conditions we can have significant potential to have a wildfire. Since 1989, we average between 10-30 wildfires in a calendar year and we’ve been very fortunate they’ve been contained.”
For more information, visit the Bainbridge Island Fire Department’s website at www.bifd.org or contact the fire marshal’s office at 206-451-2033.
