Seattle Fire Dept. urges homeowners to take action to protect property from potential brush fires



SEATTLE -- The Seattle Fire department is asking for the public’s help to reduce the risk of brush fires in city neighborhoods.

The department held a press conference Wednesday to talk about the increased fire dangers, but before they could start, crews had to knock down a brush fire that erupted nearby.

Fire crews quickly doused a homeless man’s illegal campfire in Discovery Park before it got out of hand.

The unusually warm, dry weather has the department working overtime on brush and grass fires inside the city limits.

“The conditions are different,” said Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins. “It’s something that we all need to be paying attention to.”

Unlike prior years, the threat of fires now includes populated neighborhoods

Scoggins urged homeowners to create what’s called defensible space around their homes that could help stop flames from spreading.

The department has been extremely busy this season battling more than 440 brush fires -- that’s more than twice the number of warm weather-related fires than 2014.

Learn how to protect your home by visiting Firewise.com.