Orcas Island Fire and Rescue Would Like to Let Our Island Residents Know That We Do Not

Orcas Island Fire and rescue would like to let our Island residents know that we do not have any working fires on our Island. However, we are experiencing weather conditions that are streaming smoke from British Columbia Wildfires. More than 69 + wildfires are burning in British Columbia Alone with the larges plume coming from Pemberton combining with other smaller fires causing the conditions we are experiencing here on Orcas.

The Portage Island fire near Bellingham, which is adding to the smoke plume, is reported to be 100 % contained and 90% under control.

Our advice to our community for individuals with asthma or smoke allergies is to stay indoors as much as possible while the worst of the smoke remains in our area.

We will update our community with any information for improving or worsening conditions. Furthermore, we will make sure to advise through the media, our website and Facebook page of any active fires and their status as they may occurred on our island.

We are advising everyone to use extreme caution when out in the vegetation and exercise fire safety with no smoking, fireworks or any fires other than in designated and appropriately prepared 2 x 2 fire pit. In addition, I would like to ask our community to refrain if possible from using campfires and be ready for a complete burn ban as early as next Friday. This will only leave propane BBQ and charcoal briquettes as the sole source for barbequing .

Thank you for your support and diligence with reference to being “FireWise” in our community. For more information check out our website or contact us at or phone us at (360) 376-2331.

Marla’s Corrected Version:

Orcas Island Fire and rescue would like to let our Island residents know that we do not have any fires on our Island. The smokey haze seen island-wide is due to weather conditions that are streaming smoke from British Columbia wildfires. More than 69 wildfires are burning in British Columbia alone, with the largest plume coming from Pemberton. The Portage Island fire near Bellingham, which is adding to the smoke plume, is reported to be 100 % contained and 90% under control.

Our advice to our community for individuals with asthma or smoke allergies is to stay indoors as much as possible while the worst of the smoke remains in our area.

We are advising everyone to use extreme caution when out in the vegetation and exercise fire safety by: no smoking, no fireworks of any kind or any fires other than in designated and appropriately prepared 2 x 2 fire pit. In addition, we ask our community to refrain if possible from using campfires and be ready for a complete burn ban as early as next Friday, July 10.

Thank you for your support and diligence in being “FireWise” in our community. For more information visit our website , contact us by email at , or phone us at (360) 376-2331.

The only other comment is whether or not you want to mention (nicely) not to keep calling the station for ridiculous questions. A statement may read: Orcas Island Fire and Rescue staff and volunteers are being inundated with an extremely high number of telephone inquiries. Combined with an excessively high number of aid calls, have our staff and volunteers stretched to capacity. We ask that calls to the station and 911 dispatch be limited to those of an emergency nature. We will issue daily media statements while we continue to experience these conditions.