Crews battle large brush fire, vacant house fire in Kent

Puget Sound Fire crews were kept busy late last week with a large brush fire near Kent and a vacant house fire in Kent.

Crews from Puget Sound Fire, Valley Regional Fire Authority and Mountain View Fire & Rescue responded at about 5:33 a.m. July 25 to a three-alarm brush fire on Green River Road, south of the South 277th Street bridge, according to Puget Sound Fire spokesperson Pat Pawlak.

Twenty fire department units responded to this incident, with approximately 45 fire department personnel, Pawlak said.

”It took firefighters approximately 5 hours to gain access to the fire, lay approximately 1,700 feet of fire hose, and to extinguish the fire and hotspots,” Pawlak said.

The fire covered approximately 2 acres. Firefighters dug a fire line around the north side of the fire and fallen trees that were significantly damaged by the fire. Access to the fire was difficult due to the steep terrain and wooded area. Firefighters used progressive hose lays to get water to the fire.

The cause of the fire is undetermined but there is known homeless people activity in the area. No injuries were reported.

Vacant house fire

Firefighters responded at about 7:15 p.m. July 24 to a fire at a vacant, boarded-up house in the 26000 block of 116th Avenue SE, Pawlak said.

Firefighters extinguished the fire in approximately 60 minutes. Six fire department units and approximately 18 fire department personnel responded to the incident.

The cause of the fire is undetermined by there is known homeless people activity in the structure, Pawlak said. No injuries were reported.

About 45 firefighters from three departments spent nearly 5 hours extinguishing a July 25 brush fire south of South 277th Street. COURTESY PHOTO, Puget Sound Fire

Firefighters extended about 1,700 feet of hose to battle a July 25 brush fire near South 277th Street. COURTESY PHOTO, Puget Sound Fire