For firefighters it’s just the start of a potentially busy season with the recent warm, dry weather making wildland fires more likely.

“If we keep getting weather like this ... we may get an early burn ban,” said Mike Noyes, fire chief for the Mount Erie Fire Department.

Last month, firefighters from Mount Erie, Anacortes, Guemes Island, the Department of Natural Resources and as far away as Sultan participated in a wildland fire training here near the Mount Erie fire station at Highway 20 and Deception Pass Road.

Mount Erie hosts the training annually to refresh firefighters’ skills, focusing on wildland fires and protecting homes near the forest.

Noyes said firefighters are taught safety and tactics and review previous fire incidents during the training.

“Firefighters then work as teams to extinguish small fires and practice deploying hoses and manually cutting the fire off by digging control lines,” he said.

Fire officers and squad leaders from other county departments joined them for another eight hours of leadership and tactics training to be able to lead crews, Noyes said. Other firefighters attended a special chain saw safety course that allows them to operate saws on the fireline around other firefighters.

“It is all about fighting fire safely so nobody gets hurt,” he said.

Mount Erie has two units built similar to the units used by the Department of Natural Resources and Forest Service to deal with wildland fire, Noyes said. In addition, Anacortes and Mount Erie have equipped their firefighters with lightweight brush gear to reduce fatigue and allow the crew to work until the DNR arrives.

He said it is important for people to be careful with fire, especially with the dry conditions.

“Ninety-nine percent of our brush fires are human caused,” Noyes said.

Mount Erie covers Fidalgo Island outside the city of Anacortes limits, including South Fidalgo.

The volunteer fire department currently has 28 volunteers.

“We’re always looking for more,” Noyes said. “There’s a lot of requirements to be a volunteer. We’re trying to keep them up on the same par as a paid crew.”

Last year, the department had 251 calls — including 66 fire calls (structure, brush, smoke investigations and mutual aid calls), 127 medical calls (42 of those were car accidents) and 21 public service calls (such as trees in the roadway or broken water lines).

Noyes said it can be tough because sometimes just a few people are available for a call.

“I’ve got a great group out here,” he said.

Later this month several members will head to a truck academy in North Bend to learn how to use ladders in new ways and other skills.

“They’ll come back with come incredible skills,” Noyes said. “They have to come back and teach the rest of the department.”

Visit http://www.mteriefire.com.

Burning restricted

Due to high fire danger and expected hot and dry weather conditions, a modified outdoor burning ban for the unincorporated areas of Skagit County is in effect.

The restriction bans outdoor burning except for recreational fires.

Recreational fires are less than 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet high and are for cooking and pleasure only. Recreational fires must be contained within a fire pit that is cleared of all combustible material within a 10-foot radius and monitored at all times with a water source readily available (at a minimum a charged water hose or a 5-gallon bucket).

Other than recreation fires, all outdoor burning is banned. As always burning garbage and the use of burn barrels is illegal statewide and subject to fines up to $1,000.

A permanent ban on open burning remains in effect in the city of Anacortes and the urban growth area.

The modified county burn ban will be in effect until further notice. For more information, call the Skagit County Fire Warden at (360) 428-3293.

For more information on the permanent burn ban, contact the Northwest Clean Air Agency at (800) 622-4627 or http://www.nwcleanair.org.