The SE Thurston Fire Authority would like to applaud two of our firefighters: Joshua Burkhardt and Jeremy McLellan. Burkhardt and McLellan were mobilized to the Lake Palmer area to assist with the fire in the area. Their hard work helped to save a family’s home and we would like to share the message of thanks they sent us.

James and Monika Sturdivant live on Palmer Lake. On August 21st of this year, they were told by the fire marshall that they needed to evacuate the area due to the encroaching fire. The Sturdivants evacuated to a safe place. From where they were staying, James said that they could see the flames spreading close to where they knew their house was. 

Having been told by the fire marshall that the responders were short-handed, they returned to their home early the next morning, prepared for the worst. When they arrived, however, they found their house safe and intact with one of SE Thurston Fire Authority’s trucks parked between the house and the fire.

The Sturdivants sent their thanks for Joshua Burkhardt and Jeremy McLellan. Their actions helped save this family’s home.

As the weather has gotten warmer and with schools out for summer, the number of children injured falling out of windows has risen significantly.

Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma has seen a significant rise in the number of such falls over the past month. There have been 25 children that have been treated for falling from a window by Mary Bridge’s emergency department so far this year.

Nine of those treated were hurt in July. Mary Bridge has not had any fatalities stemming from window falls so far this year.

Read more on the Tacoma News Tribune.

From Nisqually Valley News:

A strong blaze tore through a single-story home in Rainier Thursday morning.

Firefighters with Southeast Thurston Fire Authority responded to dispatch of a fully-engulfed house fire about 5:30 a.m. The house was located off Plum Nelly Lane, according to dispatch notes.

Nobody was occupying the house when the fire broke out, Southeast Thurston Fire Authority Chief Mark King said.

Although alcohol-based hand sanitizers can help prevent the transmission of COVID-19, the liquid solutions – most of which contain isopropyl alcohol – are flammable and can cause burn injuries, the Mechanical Contractors Association of America is warning workers.

In a May 1 safety memo, the association describes an incident in which a worker suffered first- and second-degree burns to the hands after using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer and then touching a metal surface before the liquid evaporated. “Due to static electricity, the vapor from the hand sanitizer ignited with an almost invisible flame on both hands,” the memo states.

The Virginia Department of Labor and Industry issued a similar warning, saying workers should act with caution when using these products.

“A best practice to protect employees from this hazard includes waiting to let the sanitizer fully absorb into the skin or evaporate prior to returning to work,” Jennifer L. Rose, consultation director of the Virginia Occupational Safety and Health Program at the state’s DOLI, told Safety+Health. “Isopropyl alcohol is highly flammable and can easily ignite. Vapors may form explosive mixtures with air, traveling to a source of ignition and flash back. It is not really the liquid burning – it is the vapors that catch fire.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the use of hand sanitizers with at least 60% alcohol against SARS-CoV-2 – the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 – particularly on jobsites where soap and water aren’t readily available. MCAA identifies construction worksites and mechanical service areas as high risk for burn injuries related to hand sanitizers.

Potential causes of ignition on a jobsite, Rose said, include:

• Sparks from electrical tools and equipment
• Sparks, arcs and hot metal surfaces from welding and cutting
• Smoking tobacco products
• Open flames from portable torches and heating units as well as boilers, pilot lights, ovens and driers
• Sparks from grinding and crushing operations
• Sparks caused by static electricity

“Isopropyl alcohol should be kept away from heat, sparks, flames and other sources of ignition, as well as strong oxidizers, acetaldehyde, chlorine, ethylene oxide, acids and isocyanates,” Rose said. “Isopropyl alcohol should be stored in a tightly closed container in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area. Hand sanitizer in quantities above 5 gallons should be stored in a flammable liquids cabinet or in areas protected by an automatic sprinkler system.”

Originally posted on Safety & Health, the official magazine of the National Safety Council.

The Bothell police officer killed in a shooting Monday night has been identified as Jonathan Shoop, who had been with the department for just over a year.

Shoop died at the scene, the Bothell Police Department said in a news release Tuesday afternoon.

Click here to read the full article from the Seattle Times.

If you or someone you know are in a dark place, you don’t have to deal with it alone. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) to talk to someone.

Remember IS PATH WARM and you can spot someone in trouble:

There is a lot of information going around about COVID and the process for reopening in our state. For the most up to date information, please visit the Thurston County Health page regarding COVID.

There is no such thing as a National Burn Permit! But a nation-wide scam offers just that – national burn permits – for sale.

The fraudulent website asks folks to provide a host of personal information and then requires a $19 fee to complete the “burn permit” process.

The fraudulent site is hosted outside the United States and was first reported by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. The Georgia DNR turned the investigation of the fraudulent site over to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI). According to the GBI, the site claims to be able to issue permits for any specific state as well as national permits. The GBA reports that the group behind this fraudulent site is the same group that created a fake national fishing/hunting license site a few years ago.

For residents of ORCAA’s six counties, it is important to remember that the only valid outdoor burning permits – residential, land clearing, silvicultural, or agricultural – are issued by ORCAA, local fire districts, or the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Exactly which of those agencies issues the permit depends on the type of fire being permitted and the geographic location of the fire.

Anyone with questions about residential, agricultural, or land-clearing burn permits should contact ORCAA, www.orcaa.org. Questions concerning silvicultural burns should be addressed to Washington DNR, https://www.dnr.wa.gov/OutdoorBurning.

Originally posted here: https://www.orcaa.org/beware-of-fake-burn-permit-site/