Firefighter Suffers Dehydration Battling WA Wildfire

Aug. 15, 2019
The firefighter was taken from the scene of the Wiser Lake Fire south of Lynden and transferred to a medical unit, according to emergency broadcasts.

Approximately three to five acres of a grass field has burned in a wildfire burning south of Lynden on Wednesday afternoon and a firefighter was reportedly transported from the area with dehydration.

The fire has been named the Wiser Lake Fire, Washington State Department of Natural Resources spokesperson Janet Pearce told The Bellingham Herald.

Pearce said the fire was first reported at 12:52 p.m. The fire appeared to be burning approximately a half mile north of Pole Road between the Guide Meridian and Hannegan Road.

“It’s burning in a grass field that is edged by some timber,” Pearce told The Herald. “There’s been a little bit of creeping into that timber area, but it’s been pretty slow going, which is obviously good.”

Pearce said DNR is using a helicopter to dampen the area to prevent the fire, which is still actively burning, from spreading. She also said there were a few houses in the area, but none were being threatened by flames.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, Pearce said.

Unconfirmed emergency broadcast transmissions reported that a firefighter was down. A later report said the firefighter was being transported from the scene by aid so that he or she could be transferred to a medical unit.

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©2019 The Bellingham Herald (Bellingham, Wash.)

Visit The Bellingham Herald (Bellingham, Wash.) at www.bellinghamherald.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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