Many celebrated the Fourth of July with a heightened sense of anxiety.
Fortunately, fear of the potential for fires seems to have resulted in scaled back celebrations that lacked the boom and sizzle of past years.
According to local fire officials, fears of a holiday wrought with damaging fires due to a dangerously dry landscape were not fully realized.
There were issues, of course. Residents of a home that burned Friday in Centralia’s Logan District believe fireworks sparked the blaze. Likewise, there were scattered reports of brush fires believed to have been the result of traditional, explosive Independence Day celebrations.
Overall, though, it seems resident of Lewis County largely got the message — leave the fireworks to the professionals and prevent potential fiery catastrophes.
Credit goes in large part to the public, which seems to have understood the inherent risks of long-held traditions and chose to delay them for at least one year.
Firefighters — full-timers and volunteers — also deserve praise for their vigilance in responding to reports of fires on a day when the rest of us soaked in our independence and celebrated the birth of our great nation.
Government officials from the state level right down to county and city governments expended efforts in pleading with the public to exercise restraint, and they seem to have been heard.
The combination of a cooperative public, dedicated emergency response workers and message-centric government officials combined to create a relatively uneventful Fourth of July.
In addition to another series of great Independence Day celebrations across Lewis County, that’s something to truly be grateful for.
Still, we find ourselves at the outset of what still promises to be a wildfire season for the record books.
According to The Associated Press, there had been more than 300 small and large fires in Washington and Oregon before the holiday weekend. By June 22, there were 321 small and large fires in Washington, compared to 224 for the same period last year, according to the Department of Natural Resources.
High temperatures and a lack of precipitation will effectively extend the wildfire season by up to a month.
While we’ve collectively crossed a hurdle, vigilance will be required through the remainder of summer and early fall to prevent disasters here in Southwest Washington.
Burn bans remain in effect for Lewis and Thurston counties, along with a blanket ban handed down from the state.
As we continue to make the best use of record temperatures, remember to think of your friends, family and neighbors each and every time you create a flame.
With continued widespread cooperation and adherence to burning regulations, we can come through this wave of historic heat and dryness as unscathed as possible.
