Lots of ideas, no clear solutions
By Marcy Stamper
Reeling from two summers of severe wildfires that burned 1,200 square miles in the county, Okanogan County commissioners have started brainstorming about a way to put out fires while they are still small, rather than wait for large state teams.
The commissioners envision some local structure that could marshal firefighters already in the area for prompt initial attack.
But there is still no clear assessment of what has to change — whether delays in aggressive initial attack the past two years were caused by a lack of resources, or had their roots in the decision-making hierarchy.
A team of county officials — the commissioners, emergency manager and planning director, along with an EMS director from a local fire district — aired their concerns and explored possible solutions in a preliminary discussion about a new approach to wildfire initial attack on Monday (Nov. 16).
Planning Director Perry Huston, who will be drafting ideas for further discussion, prodded the commissioners to clarify the problem. “I’ve listened to discussions, and sometimes it was a shortage of resources, and sometimes it was that available resources were not deployed,” he said.
Even after two hours, there was no one, clear answer — instead, the commissioners described many contributing factors during complex, fast-moving fires. These included fighting fires at the wrong time of day, watching and waiting, and a reluctance to call in additional help because of the cost, according to the commissioners.
Even what is meant by initial attack — how long a period it covers — was not immediately clear. Proposals ranged from the first five hours through 12 hours.
County Commissioner Ray Campbell said he had seen both successes and failures in initial attack on state, federal — and local — levels. Some incident commanders were well prepared and immediately got the help they needed, but in many cases there was a delay in calling for assistance, he said.
Some consensus
There was a consensus that qualified contract firefighters and equipment operators had not been adequately utilized. There was less clarity about the reason. Sometimes contractors were not on an approved list; in other cases, county fire district chiefs were reluctant to call for additional help, said Okanogan County Emergency Manager Maurice Goodall.
Other issues cited by the commissioners include relying on burnouts or backburns — burning the area between a fire line and the active fire to eliminate all the fuel. The burnouts themselves sometimes got out of control, prompting widespread evacuations, said County Commissioner Jim DeTro. “After what they did this year, we might as well backfire at the Pacific Ocean,” he said.
DeTro pointed to two approaches that would make a big difference — fighting fires before dawn, when temperatures are cooler, humidity higher, and winds calm; and making wider use of smokejumpers. “We have the crown jewel of initial attack in Okanogan County — the smokejumper base. We should have the ability to use them,” he said.
Some county fire districts — particularly smaller ones — can apparently be cautious about calling in additional resources because of the expense, said the commissioners. Other chiefs don’t ask for help because they believe they have the situation under control. Goodall suggested more training for fire chiefs so they understand they can ask for air support.
Some attributed the problems they see in firefighting to divergent philosophies in fire suppression — whether you put a fire out immediately or let nature take its course, said Huston.
Campbell said he wants to create their own response system rather than try to change minds about firefighting and forest management.
Matter of liability
Any approach would have to take account of safety and liability. Goodall cautioned that if private contractors are sent out, there has to be a link between them and the chain of command. “You can’t just send them out — that’s a dangerous thing,” he said.
“Are commissioners willing to delve into the question of torts?” asked Huston. “It’s a legitimate question — if somebody calls somebody in and they get hurt, who’s liable?” he asked.
There is nothing currently in state law that would put the county in the chain of command for firefighting, said Huston. He suggested this might be achieved through interlocal agreements with fire districts.
County Commissioner Sheilah Kennedy raised concerns about whether it is realistic to expect support and funding from the Legislature for any new plan, given that it is already the middle of November and that lawmakers are under court orders to address funding shortfalls in education.
“Let’s assume there’s money for the fire districts — but what is the chain of command? You can have all the resources in the world, but if they don’t call them in, what difference does it make?” said Huston.
While Campbell and DeTro want an arrangement that would provide more local control, there was no agreement about how to structure it — whether it would involve a fire chief for the whole county or some other arrangement.
“I don’t envision an incident commander for Okanogan County, but we need someone who understands fire and local conditions and weather,” said Campbell. He wants assurances that the county can carry out necessary surveillance in the immediate aftermath of a lightning storm, with money for spotter planes and contact with lookout towers.
Huston reminded the commissioners that any new command structure could ultimately work under different county leadership. Campbell said he is concerned with safeguarding the health, safety and welfare of county citizens today.
Huston will draft a document for further discussion that creates an intermediate step between the fire districts and the state mobilization, and a mechanism for hiring more resources.
