West Pierce Fire has already put out as many brush fires as it did in all of 2022

The brush and wildfire season is just getting started in Western Washington, but West Pierce Fire and Rescue says it has already put out nearly the same number of fires so far this year as crews did in all of 2022.

The fire district covers Lakewood, Steilacoom, and University Place. It reports that there were 137 brush fires last season, and at last check, West Pierce firefighters have already responded to 135 in 2023.

The fire district also says that a rising issue it faces is "wildland/urban interface" — areas common in Western Washington, where the woods sit adjacent to residential neighborhoods. This dynamic requires different equipment, such as smaller trucks for forested areas than would traditionally be used in urban settings. The district is using a $400,000 federal grant to pay for equipment and training for this scenario.

The risk of wildfires and brush fires is particularly high this summer. In June, Northwest climatologists warned that the region was reaching "peak dryness" much sooner than usual for the year. This is when the region dries out from all the winter and spring rain. It usually happens toward the middle or end of summer. This prompted concerns over increased fire dangers.

Washington State Climatologist Nick Bond told KUOW in June that, "It could be another one of those summers in which we have more fires than we used to have or, at least, larger fires." He also said the rest of summer was expected to have above normal temperatures.

Fourth of July fireworks added to concerns. At least two building fires in Seattle were set by fireworks (fireworks are banned in Seattle). It wasn't clear how many brush fires were set by fireworks in the city, but the Seattle Fire Department responded to 67 brush fires from July 1 to July 5, the majority of which happened after July 4.

During this same time, Western Washington's air quality dove into hazardous and unhealthy categories, due to local wildfire and firework smoke.