Yesterdays violent winds and driving rains kept firefighters running from one emergency to the next. Thankfully, none were severe said East Pierce Fire and Rescue Fire Chief Bud Backer.

Our crews ran 69 calls in a 24-hour period,” he said. On a typical day, East Pierce firefighters respond to an average of 17-20 calls per day, he reported. “We were extremely busy between 1 and 6 p.m., but it slowed down after that, as the wind let up,” he said.

The incidents were spread throughout the fire district that includes Bonney Lake, Sumner, South Prairie, Lake Tapps, Milton and Edgewood.

Just before 3 p.m., the fire district activated its emergency management system, a plan specifically designed to manage incidents and resources during severe storms or other large-scale emergencies. The team also monitored local rivers to prepare for potential flood evacuations.

Off-duty firefighters and volunteer firefighters were called in to staff back-up fire engines and medic units.

“We handled calls as units became available,” Backer said.

Many of the 9-1-1 calls were storm related, including trees and wires down, although some were more serious. A malfunctioning generator at a home on the 7000 block of 191st Avenue East in Bonney Lake caught a nearby fence on fire around 6:19 p.m. Earlier, a tree fell onto a car on 214th Avenue East near the Sumner-Buckley Highway. No one was injured in either incident.

At 7 a.m. this morning, firefighters were called to a home on the 7000 block of 148th Avenue East in Bonney Lake for a furnace fire. The blaze was contained to the garage. The home suffered some smoke damage. There were no injuries reported.