State fire assistance has been mobilized under the Washington State Fire Services Resource Mobilization Plan in support of local firefighters working to contain the Rising Eagle Road Fire, in Okanogan County. Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste authorized the mobilization of state firefighting resources August 1, 2014, at 4:30 p.m. at the request of Okanogan County Fire District 6.
The cause is unknown at this time. The fire is approximately 200 acres and is threatening approximately 50 homes and electrical infrastructure. Level 2 and 3 evacuations are in place.
Mobilization specialists from the Fire Protection Bureau are ordering five wildland task forces to supplement the resources already fighting the fire.
The State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at Camp Murray continues to be activated to Phase III, to coordinate state assistance for the Rising Eagle Road Fire. Personnel from the Office of the State Fire Marshal are on scene providing resource coordination and administrative oversight, with other personnel staffing the State EOC.
Under the State Fire Services Resource Mobilization Plan, the Fire Protection Bureau coordinates the initial dispatch and continued administrative oversight of resources and personnel for the duration of the incident. The Mobilization Plan is implemented to provide a process to quickly notify, assemble and deploy fire service personnel, equipment and other resources from around the state when fires, disasters or other events exceed the capacity of local jurisdictions. More information about the Washington State Fire Services Resource Mobilization Plan is available at: http://www.wsp.wa.gov/fire/mobilization.htm.