PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. — A brush fire along I-5 in Tacoma stunned drivers Saturday as it quickly charred the hillside alongside the freeway.
Firefighters are now sharing a stern warning for Washington locals that dangerous brush fires like this can often come with current weather conditions.
"Really, really just be careful over this next week or two," said Pat Pawlak, public information officer and division chief with Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority.
Sunday into mid-week, the risk for brush fires will be especially high in the South Puget Sound, according to the National Weather Service Seattle (NWS). This is due to a combination of low humidity and breezy northerly winds.
Dry roadside grasses, like the ones that burned after a car fire on I-5 in Tacoma Saturday, can easily become tinder for fast-spreading fires.
The car fire began just before 9 p.m. Saturday. Video showed cars driving feet away from quickly spreading flames along I-5 northbound, coming uncomfortably close to a nursing home and a WinCo grocery store.
The fire is now out, but the scorched earth remains visible from Interstate 5.
This fire, however, was not the only brush fire in Pierce County this weekend. A reported 150 acres burned on Joint Base Lewis-McChord off Mounts Gate Road.
"We get a couple days of rain, and everybody thinks, 'okay it’s taking care of the problem,'" Pawlak said. "What it does is, it lets that grow a little bit, and then it starts drying out again. So you have a little bit more fuel."
The fire official said it does not take much to start a brush fire in these conditions.
"Whether it’s cigarette butts, cigar butts... or even if somebody parks in taller grass, with how hot the muffler and catalytic converter is, can certainly start those fires also," Pawlak said.
Pawlak said to never leave a child or pet in a hot car in weather like this.
“Because it can get up to 120, 130 degrees in a car," Pawlak said.
Palawk said it is imperative to make sure hot coals are completely put out before throwing them away when barbecuing.
Essentially all of western Washington will be at risk for extreme heat or fire dangers these next few days, according to weather experts.
If you see a fire starting, experts said to call 911 immediately.
