SPOKANE, Wash. – Firefighters across the Northwest have been stretched thin in 2015.
Extremely hot, dry conditions have crews in Washington calling for backup sooner than usual.
A house fire burning along Indian Trail Monday morning quickly turned into much more.
"It was in the vegetation and it was headed up the hill behind. So we had concerns it was going to start a fairly large wildfire that would have gone into the structures up above," said Spokane Fire Battalion Chief, Dave Haworth.
An off-duty firefighter driving by first noticed the smoke. When the first crews arrived they instantly recognized the need for more hands on deck and elevated it to a two alarm call.
"We knew we were going to need a lot of people right away and that's the quickest way to get crews," said Haworth.
It is the kind of speedy response we have seen all across Washington this fire season. Conditions this hot and dry this early have not been seen in years.
The Department of Natural Resources said in early July of 2014 it had responded to 275 wildfires. This year, the number is approaching 400.
Firefighters said acting fast is the only way to gain the upper hand. State mobilization was enacted within hours of the Sleepy Hollow Fire in Wenatchee. Many people credit that quick action for saving countless homes and possibly even lives.
