3rd Washington Firefighter Tests Positive For Coronavirus

SEATTLE, WA — A third DNR firefighter in Washington state has tested positive for the coronavirus. While there has not been enough sick firefighters to impact the state's ability to battle wildfires, leaders say there is a huge risk for outbreaks in the firefighting population, and that it's everyone's responsibility to protect Washington's firefighters by taking the coronavirus pandemic seriously.

The latest firefighter tested positive over the weekend. The Department of Natural Resources says the firefighter was asymptomatic and had been serving at a fire camp while responding to the Anglin Fire near Tonasket. After the firefighter tested positive, 14 other firefighters who had been in contact with the coronavirus patient had to be placed in quarantine. All 14 remain asymptomatic.

Despite the fact that all 15 firefighters are now out of commission, the DNR says there is no current "danger to immediate wildfire response capability." However, firefighters work and live in close proximity while on the job, and the threat of a virus tearing through a fire camp remains a major concern.

“Our wildland firefighters are our first line of defense when communities are facing a wildfire,” said DNR Commissioner Hilary Franz. "Unfortunately, despite all possible precautions, firefighters do congregate and work in close quarters when responding to wildfires. That means the stakes are high: a widespread outbreak among our firefighters would impede our ability to keep Washingtonians safe."

Franz says that the cases in firefighters are simply a reflection of the recent surge in coronavirus cases among the general population, and that it is up to the general population to take the coronavirus seriously and follow safety guidelines to help protect our first responders as well.

“I urge each of us to recommit to doing all we can to protect our firefighters," Franz said. "That means practicing social distancing and wearing a mask so that our firefighters do not catch the virus when they are not on the fire lines. And that also means abiding by burn bans and taking precautions not to start fires. Each time our firefighters respond to a fire, they are at risk of COVID-19 spreading amongst them. "

Last month Franz issued a statewide burn ban on all 12 million acres of DNR protected lands. The ban remains in place through September 30.