In preparation for wildfire season, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will be conducting two mock fire exercises in the Capitol State Forest starting on Wednesday, March 27, from 1 to 5 p.m. The second exercise will be April 17, from 1 to 5 p.m. Backup dates for the two exercises will be March 28 and April 18, respectively.

 

The training area will be above the C-Line, near the Greenline Trail. The area will have road guards at the C-7300 junction. View a map of the area.

 

DNR firefighters will be using an assortment of firefighting equipment. Additionally, there will be DNR crews on the ground managing roadblocks and coordinating the exercise area.

 

Using smoke cloud devices, colored smoke will come from non-flammable containers in open areas without overhead vegetation. Depending on wind conditions, the public may witness visible smoke at times ranging from small smoke plumes to drift smoke and light smoke haze.

 

Hosted by the aviation team within DNR’s Wildland Fire Management Division, this training will enhance air crews’ ability to fight wildland fire more effectively and safely in aerial firefighting activities. It’s an opportunity for the ground crews to simulate fire to train the air crews with required tasks.

 

Four helicopters will be on scene to drop water as needed for this exercise, along with a Kodiak 100 airplane.

 

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Wildfire Communications Manager

Cell: 360-529-7184

 

Communications Manager

Cell: 360-688-3047