Hot weather stretches East Pierce firefighting resources Thursday

Several fires in quick succession taxed East Pierce Fire & Rescue crews Thursday.

They quickly put out a blaze about 2:40 p.m. outside a two-story home in the 20300 block of 29th Street Court East by Lake Tapps before it reached inside the home.

Meanwhile, crews were called to a garage fire in Edgewood that damaged three classic cars and two others. The flames reached a shelter for three goats and pig, all of which evacuated safely of their own accord.

That fire spread to a nearby pasture, and because of the dry weather, started several small fires in neighboring yards that crews had to deal with.

East Pierce Fire Chief Bud Backer said the department will have to start sending an additional rig to fires during the hot weather.

A fire in the median of state Route 167 near Jovita Boulevard about 4:30 p.m. required help from South King Fire & Rescue and Central Pierce Fire & Rescue.

It didn’t spread from the median, but caused traffic backups.

East Pierce had 22 firefighters on duty when the fires began.

“We need 15 firefighters for a structure fire. We were short before the grass fire even started,” Backer said in a statement.

Off-duty firefighters helped with other emergencies during the fires.

Several firefighters were treated for heat and dehydration, but did not need to go to the hospital.

No one else was injured.

This story was originally published July 30, 2015 at 9:25 PM with the headline "Hot weather stretches East Pierce firefighting resources Thursday."