The Tenino area saw what can happen when a rave involving hundreds, perhaps thousands, of partiers descends on a forested area during the peak of fire season.
Last month, a massive party resulted in a grass fire that raised anxiety as it came dangerously close to homes and other structures.
Fortunately, firefighters from local departments and the state Department of Natural Resources were able to douse the blaze before it did more serious damage.
Thurston County authorities in turn notified the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office of the incident, noting that a similar event was scheduled to occur in West Lewis County.
Officials from Lewis County quickly stepped in, obtaining an injunction and restraining order that prevented the event — dubbed EPIC III by promoters — from happening on private property near Rainbow Falls State Park.
Photographs taken by The Chronicle at the scene Friday showed sad-faced would-be ravers, and the accompanying story included words of anger, surprise and disillusionment that their party had been crashed.
Too bad.
The county made the right choice in stepping in to prevent an event that included nearly 19,000 invitees. Organizers claimed that just 500 people would attend, preventing the need for additional permits.
Facebook statistics said otherwise, as more than 1,000 people had indicated they would attend.
Promoter John Creighton was quick to distance himself and his group from the one that left behind trails of garbage and fire damage near Tenino.
“There’s a stigma against the music we play and who we are; it’s obvious,” he said. “A lot of that though is self-inflicted. Look at how the promoters handled (the Tenino rave).”
The idea that his event would not have posed a similar risk, though, is false.
The combination of hundreds of partiers, fire and illicit drugs in a dry, forested area would have been a potential recipe for catastrophe.
One must look no farther than today’s front page to see that fire risk in Western Washington is scarily high.
One errant ember or unsecured campfire can result in the loss of thousands of acres of timber, along with the homes, property and possessions of others.
We’re thankful for the incredulous eyes of the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office and Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office, both of which had a hand in rejecting this potentially dangerous gathering.
Future promoters should heed the words of Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer.
“We recommended to them if they just come talk to the county first they could have the event rather than just posting a free-for-all on Facebook and saying come on down,” he said.
