Vancouver fire crews respond to 5 brush fires, says summer could be 'a challenge'

VANCOUVER, Wash. (KOIN) -- Hot, dry, windy conditions are putting firefighters on edge as they battle several brush fires in the area.

The Vancouver Fire Department says they responded to five brush fires on Monday, two of which were big enough to prompt evacuations.

The evacuations were eventually lifted, but fire officials are encouraging people to have an evacuation plan that features a go bag with medications and important papers, plus a plan for your escape route.

Vancouver Fire says there's a lot of vegetation in the area currently, and with how dry it has been in recent weeks, officials believe wildfires will be a challenge this year. Fire chief Brennan Blue says brush fires, like the ones they responded to Monday, put a strain on their system, which made them have to bring in extra crews.

"It certainly does because the normal calls we have, heart attacks, car crashes, those don't stop when we have a fire," he said. "I think it’s a precursor to what we’ll see this year, especially because we had a dry spring."

There are burn bans in multiple areas right now, including parts of Washington, Clackamas, Yamhill and Multnomah counties. Clackamas Fire is asking people to refrain from backyard and agricultural burning.

Fire crews are also encouraging people to build defensible space around their homes, which means clearing out brush, low hanging tree limbs, and disposing of rubbish within 30 feet of the property. They say the biggest challenge on Monday was the wind, which is unpredictable and can carry embers, starting fires in new areas.

"Fire is unpredictable, as we saw yesterday. We’re at the mercy of the wind. The wind will determine where that fire will go. It can pick up embers and start spot fires. That creates a challenge for firefighters," Blue said.