South Sound Wildfires Cause Closures, Evacuations, Power Outages

BONNEY LAKE, WA — Wildfires continue to cause trouble for Pierce County residents Wednesday, as they push neighbors out of their homes, or otherwise cut off power and force road closures.

The biggest problem continues to be the Sumner Grade Fire— a fire that has burned at least 800 acres of land in the Bonney Lake and Sumner area since it sparked up near the intersection of State Routes 167 and 410.

Just after 1 a.m. Wednesday, that fire forced first responders to issue a level 3 alert for much of Bonney Lake, asking residents to evacuate their homes in the middle of the night.

Overnight, the fire moved southeast and away from Sumner, allowing that city to end its one remaining evacuation around the Winco.

As of early Wednesday afternoon, officials say the weather conditions are rapidly evolving, making it difficult to predict where the fire will go next. As a result, all residents living on the border of the current evacuation zone are being asked to be prepared to leave at a moments notice.

The Sumner Grade Fire is 20 percent contained, and despite the evacuations of hundreds of homes, only four have burned, according to the Tacoma News Tribune.

Elsewhere, firefighters continue to monitor the fire in Graham that decimated several homes earlier in the week. First responders say the blaze remains under control, though firefighters have had to work around the clock to keep it contained and put out hotspots.

Related: Washington Air Quality Forecast: Smoke Lingers For Another Day

If further evacuations are announced through the day: firefighters say all residents whose homes are put under evacuation are contacted by the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, but anyone who is unsure if their neighborhood is under evacuation can call the Pierce County Department of Emergency Management at (253) 798-1571. Residents can also sign up for text alerts by texting PCALERT to 888777.

Those who have been evacuated and need shelter can call the Red Cross at (571)595-7723. Students at Sumner High have also prepared meals to help support evacuees, which can be picked up anytime before 4 p.m.

Beyond evacuations, other lingering issues remain. State Route 410 has been closed to traffic in the area. The 410 also remains closed near Enumclaw due to a separate, 150 acre fire along the road there, and other closures remain near Bridgeport and Nespelem.

In Puyallup, around 2 p.m. Wednesday, the northbound SR 167 on ramp from North Meridian had to be closed due to another large brush fire in that area. Shortly after that fire sparked up, Washington State Patrol announced they had arrested a 36-year-old man for intentionally setting that fire.

Later in the afternoon Puyallup PD also announced a brush fire burning in the woods east of Pierce College. It was quickly snuffed out before it could grow into a major issue, but roads were also closed in the surrounding area while firefighters responded.

Meanwhile, power outages continue to be a concern. Wednesday morning Puget Sound Energy reported 155 separate outages in their coverage area, leaving 14500 customers without power.

Some of those outages may last for days, as crews will need to wait for fire hotspots to cool down before they can repair damaged lines. More specifics on each outage can be found on Puget Sound Energy's outage map.

Due to the outages, classes have been cancelled for the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District.

Anyone who sees a downed power line should report it by calling PSE or 911. Downed trees and debris covering roadways can be reported at piercecountywa.gov/rfa.

Finally, the first responders and local leaders continue to warn residents: be extremely careful not to spark up any more fires. A red flag warning remains in effect through late Thursday evening, and conditions are dry and dangerous.

Related: Western Washington Forecast: 'Hot, Dry, and Smoky'

These wildfires are still active and conditions are expected to change. Patch will update this page when they do.