Southeast Thurston Fire Agency and fire agencies across the county responded to a brush fire near Walmart in Yelm just before 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 12.
The brush fire located near Walmart quickly spread and posed a threat to livestock.
State Route 507, near Walmart, was closed and later reduced to a single lane.
Over 10 acres were burned, according to Southeast Thurston Fire.
“Thankfully there were no lost homes, cattle, or reported injuries,” the agency stated on its Facebook page.
Yelm’s Police Chief Rob Carlson was on hand at the site of the brush fire.
Carlson noted the fire quickly spread in a field on the east side of the railroad tracks across the street from Walmart.
Crews who assisted Southeast Thurston Fire Authority included the Washington State Department of Transportation, East Olympia Fire District 6, South Thurston Fire and EMS, Lacey Fire District Three, the Bald Hills Fire Department, Griffin Fire Department, South Bay Fire Department and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.
The efforts included a helicopter, which collected water from the Nisqually River to dump on the fire.
Carlson said he was impressed with the way WSDOT and crews on site handled the situation.
“It was incredible watching the pilot fly that thing. He was weaving it in and out of trees, down to the river, and at a fairly quick speed,” Carlson said. “It’s not good that there was a fire over there, but it’s impressive to see how those guys handled it.”
Southeast Thurston Fire also thanked the Safeway in Yelm for its contribution of “rehab supplies,” which included Gatorade for the crews who responded.
