Cedar Hills Fire Burns 30 Acres South Of Issaquah

ISSAQUAH, WA — Washington State Patrol authorized state firefighting resources Monday to help contain the Cedar Hills Fire, estimated to have burned 30 acres south of Issaquah. Officials expected two more strike teams to arrive by Tuesday morning, along with extra assistance from the air.

Eastside fire crews faced significant challenges attempting to contain the brush fire Monday afternoon, as flames swept beneath high-voltage powerlines amid the third day of record-setting heat and a much longer stretch without rain.

Eastside Fire & Rescue and several neighboring agencies responded to a wooded area east of Renton, south of Issaquah, and west of the Cedar Hills Regional Landfill, just before 2 p.m.

Temperatures in Issaquah had already reached 107 degrees by the time the fire was reported, and highs were forecast to soar further by late afternoon. Much of the Puget Sound lowlands were under a red flag warning Monday, with relative humidity as low as 17 percent in some areas.

More than a dozen fire engines, brush trucks and water tenders responded to the scene to assist early on, including units from Bellevue, Renton, Duvall and Puget Sound Fire.

Around 3:30 p.m., Eastside officials reported ground crews were pulling back from the fire as flames burned around large overhead powerlines. Firefighters were still in a holding pattern an hour later as crews worked on precautionary measures and monitored neighborhoods nearest the burn area.

Dana Schutter, a battalion chief and spokesperson for Eastside Fire & Rescue, told Patch the high voltage lines made fighting the fire exceptionally dangerous on the ground and made airborne water drops unfeasible. Schutter added that smoke particulates can act as conductors and lead to hazardous arcs of energy, which look like lightning strikes between the wires and the ground, creating a deadly risk for firefighters.

Throughout the afternoon, Eastside teams were in communication with the Bonneville Power Administration to power down the lines and allow containment efforts to resume. The powerlines were successfully secured by 6:30 p.m., allowing helicopter water drops to get underway with renewed ground support from the strike team.

Eastside officials said crews also formed a defensive line to protect homes in the nearby Maple Hills neighborhood, which could be in the fire's path, but no evacuation orders were in place.