SVFD News

Do Lithium-Ion Batteries Pose a Fire Risk?

03/14/23

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are in widespread use in consumer electronics. Lithium batteries have become the industry standard for rechargeable...

2023 Community Risk Reduction (CRR) Week

01/18/23

Each year, starting with the Martin Luther King holiday, fire departments around the nation support a weeklong campaign to educate communities about...

Call for Pro and Con Committee to Review Levy

11/29/22

Pro and Con Committees Spokane Valley Fire Department is placing before the voters on the February 14, 2023 ballot a proposition authorizing a maintenance and operations excess levy.

GUIDE TO MONITORING WILDFIRE SMOKE AND FIRE DANGER

Jul 6, 2020

We want to help you keep tabs on fire danger and air quality this wildfire season. Even after a rainy June, summer began with a tally of almost 500 wildfire starts across the state—almost double from previous years—according to Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

When temperatures rise and humidity drops, a tiny spark from a dragging chain, a lawnmower blade hitting a rock, or a smoldering campfire all have the potential to ignite an out-of-control fire. High winds can feed blasts of oxygen to a fire, giving it tremendous reach and causing embers to sail through the air more than a mile away to start more fires.

Wildfire smoke from fires near or far can make anyone sick. Before planning outdoor activities, check the air quality index and take precautions. Wildfire smoke can be extremely harmful to children, pregnant people, older adults, and those with asthma, COPD, and bronchitis, as well as chronic heart disease or diabetes. Now with the COVID-19 pandemic, experts are concerned that wildfire smoke may worsen symptoms for those with COVID-19. Many of those vulnerable to wildfire smoke are also vulnerable to COVID-19.

The information gathered below can help you make choices that reduce exposure to wildfire smoke and minimize fire danger.

AIR QUALITY AND BURN RESTRICTIONS. The following agencies and tools provide alerts and updates about burn restrictions and air quality. Use these links to check air quality before you exercise outside. And, always check for restrictions before you burn.

Spokane Clean Air. Visit spokanecleanair.org for current air quality and burn restriction status, or subscribe to their newsletter for alerts. For current burn restrictions, call (509) 477-4710.

Spokane Valley Fire Department. (That’s us!) Burn restrictions or alerts will be posted on our website, spokanevalleyfire.com. Or call (509) 928-1700 for information.

Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Check on burn restrictions for DNR-protected lands: wa.gov/burn-restrictions.
WA Department of Health – Washington Smoke Blog. This color-coded map shows air quality reports from across the state: blogspot.com.

FIRE DANGER WARNINGS AND RATINGS.

National Weather Service (NWS) Red Flag Warnings. These important warnings are issued when the conditions for extreme fire danger are happening or will happen in the next 24 hours. Under a Red Flag Warning, always follow instructions of local officials and prepare to take action. Red Flag Warnings are issued with weather forecasts and posted on the NWS website: https://www.weather.gov/otx/
- Learn to prepare for Red Flag Warnings and what activities may be affected (e.g., mowing the lawn). Personal responsibility and situational awareness can make all the difference. https://www.iafc.org/docs/default-source/pdf/red-flag-resource-long-.pdf

EMERGENCY ALERTS

ALERT Spokane. Spokane County offers emergency notifications via landline, cellular phone and/or Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones. It can also notify via text, TTD, TTY and email. Register online here: org/3007/Alert-Spokane

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Report a fire: Call
WA Department of Health – Smoke from Fires Q&A. Get your questions answered about how to protect yourself and others from wildfire smoke. doh.wa.gov/CommunityandEnvironment/AirQuality/SmokeFromFires

← SVFD FIRE CHIEF COLLINS AND FIRE MARSHAL ROGERS TALK ABOUT 4TH OF JULY SAFETY LEAVING HOME? KNOW THE COVID-19 RISKS BEFORE YOU GO →

Did you Know?

You can sign up for a station tour. Great for small groups.

You should replace the batteries in your smoke alarms twice a year.

Creating a defensible space with regards to wildfires could just save your home or property.

We have Friends & Family CPR classes every month.

Media Contact

Julie Happy

509-892-4155

happyj@spokanevalleyfire.com

Commissioner Patrick Burch

Board Member Since: July 18, 2016
Current term expires: December 31, 2025

Commissioner Burch was appointed to the Board of Fire Commissioners in July 2016 to fill an unexpired term and has served continuously since that time. He became a volunteer member of the Department’s CERT Team in 2008 and later served as a team leader/member of Fire Corps.

“I admire the Spokane Valley Fire Department’s focus on continuous improvement. Our dedication to the community, fiscal responsibility and the fact that we are one of the few accredited fire departments in the State of Washington all make SVFD great!”

Note: As the individual appointed to this non-partisan position, Commissioner Burch was elected by voters in November 2017.

Commissioner Mike Kester

Board Member Since: January 1, 2020
Current six year term expires: December 31, 2025

Commissioner Mike Kester was elected to the Board of Fire Commissioners in November, 2019.

Commissioner Kester grew up in the Spokane area and has a deep appreciation for just how fortunate we all are to live in this beautiful area. He believes that being involved in this community is not something to take lightly.

His background includes joining the United States Coast Guard (U.S.C.G) after high school and serving on a port firefighting boat doing search and rescue in Portland, Oregon. After the Coast Guard, he attended the University of Montana earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Resource Management. He then went on to work for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, serving in their Parks Department.

Spokane was the next step in his career. He went to work for the Burlington Santa Fe Railroad and the next 22 years was spent as a conductor moving freight. Commissioner Kester retired in 2010 after a workplace injury and now, he and his wife enjoy making meals for World War II Veterans, helping out at the YMCA ,and providing meals for those in need.

“In the 25 years of being a resident of the Spokane Valley the professionalism of the SVFD has inspired me to take an active part in bettering our community. We have one of the best fire departments in the whole Pacific Northwest. My wife and I have 3 children and 5 grandchildren. I have dedicated my life to keeping them safe. I want to apply that dedication to our community. Keeping us all safe is a goal we should all aspire to in one way or another. Communication within the department and with the public is, and always will be one of my primary goals.”

Commissioner John Guarisco

Board Member since: August 27, 2018
Current six year term expires: December 31, 2027

Commissioner Guarisco was appointed to the Board of Fire Commissioners in August 2018 to fill an unexpired term and has served continuously since that time. Commissioner Guarisco founded Marjoni Marketing in 2004 and in 2010 merged with MDI marketing. He then pursued Real Estate, earning his license and now, currently serves the greater Spokane area as a licensed Realtor. He has long been active in the community and has won numerous awards during his career including the Volunteer of the Year (2014) and the Community Caring Award (2010) from the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of the Greater Spokane Valley Rotary Club and holds an AA degree from Spokane Falls Community College.

Note: As the individual appointed to this non-partisan position, Commissioner Guarisco was elected by voters in November 2019.

Commissioner Bill Anderson

Board Member since: January 1, 2000
Current six year term expires: December 31, 2023

Commissioner Anderson served our community as a Spokane Valley Fire Department firefighter for 29 years. Throughout his career, he worked as a firefighter, dispatcher and engineer before he was promoted and became an officer. He was Station Captain of Millwood Station 2 when he retired in 1999. During his years as firefighter, he was an active leader of Spokane Valley Firefighters Local 876 and served as a trustee on the Washington State Council of Firefighters for 25 years.

“It’s important to me that we continue the good service we’ve always given the people. We’ve accomplished a lot and are pulling in the same direction to get better. I’m very proud of the Spokane Valley Fire Department.”

Commissioner Brian Asmus

Board Member Since: June 14, 2021
Current term expires:

Commissioner Brian Asmus was appointed to the Spokane Valley Fire Department Board of Fire Commissioners in 2021.

Commissioner Asmus is the former Liberty Lake Police Chief and current Director of Safety and Security at Central Valley School District (CVSD).

“Brian Asmus brings extensive Public Safety leadership experience, and a long history of being actively engaged in his community to his new role as a SVFD Commissioner,” said SVFD Fire Chief, Bryan Collins. “During his time as a Police Chief, Brian interacted with SVFD firefighters and administrators on a regular basis, making him very familiar with our structure, standing within our communities, as well as with many of our current SVFD board members and personnel. Brian’s experience working and collaborating on regional issues aligns nicely with SVFD’s philosophy and will help us continue to be a catalyst for local and regional excellence and innovation.”