BELLEVUE, Wash. — This hot, dry weather has firefighters concerned about the fire danger across the state.
We have seen several fires on the west side of the mountains- including the stubborn Bear Gulch fire on Lake Cushman that remains just 3% contained.
In Bellevue, crews say a fire over the weekend could have been catastrophic.
And it is easy to see why: the burned trees have exposed the facade of the Wedgewood Condominiums.
That building and the people inside were directly in harm’s way.
“He start yelling, ‘fire, fire,” said Vladimir Kolderstov, remembering the moment when he was alerted. “’Get out. Get out.’ It was (a) police officer.”
That was the first Koldertsov knew that the trees right behind the home he shares with his wife in the Wedgewood Condominiums were going up in flames.
“It was awful,” he said. “It just was awful.”
‘Awful’ and, he says, he had warned management for years about the trees and overgrown vegetation.
“It’s enough that one cigarette to initiate the fire,” said Kolderstov.
That is now what Bellevue Fire suspects may have sparked this fire Saturday afternoon.
“We do see each summer the season seems to get a little bit longer as far as the dry spell goes with it,” said Battalion Chief Keith Allen.
And, according to the state Department of Natural Resources, even the forecast for rain later this week likely won’t douse the fire threat.
“The fire can smolder in duff, that’s the organic material at the base of the trees comprised of sort of decomposing pine needles, twigs, branches, et cetera,” said Thomas Kyle-Milward, DNR. “And the fire can smolder in that material even with some rainfall and then flare up again as you see heat return.”
These fires can spread so quickly.
The people tell us embers from the fire jumped across 148th Avenue Northeast and landed on a bush, setting it on fire, too.
Firefighters say the fire danger likely won’t end until the fall rains begin.
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