The Ford-Corkscrew fire that has burned 15,000 acres in Stevens County is now 14% contained.
Stevens County Fire District 1 Chief Mike Bucy says a rough perimeter has been established around the fire. He likens the current activity to connecting the dots, where some gaps remain in areas with rougher terrain.
He said he is working to address the frustrations of people in the area who are concerned that not enough is being done to protect their community.
“Our biggest concern is people think we are not fighting the fire properly. Unfortunately, they are not trained in firefighting efforts, we are. And we continue to bring in additional experts. We know what we're doing, we know what we are capable of," he said.
Bucy also cautioned people to only use official sources for information on the fire, citing Facebook posts that report suspicious people were seen in the area near property that has been evacuated.
“And I get it, neighbors are helping neighbors, they are doing their own patrols, but the problem is as people get weary and tired, you start to lend yourself toward vigilantism. And my fear is someone is going to get shot and things will escalate quickly when they don't need to," he said.
The chief says a request has been made to the National Guard to assist at road checkpoints. To help get accurate information out, Bucy and other officials planned to hold a virtual on the district's Facebook page Thursday evening on Facebook to answer specific questions from the public.
