As the 2015 fire season gets underway, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) asks citizens who spot wildfire anywhere in the state to observe the location of the fire and quickly report it by calling 911.

“Our first line of information about fires is often the public,” said Bob Johnson, the agency’s lead firefighter and manager of DNR’s Wildfire Division.  “If callers can take a moment to give us the general location of the fire, we can make sure there is a quick response by the firefighters best equipped to handle fire on that particular landscape.”

Dispatchers answering 911 calls will immediately route calls to federal, state and local firefighters, depending on the location of the fire.  While firefighting resources are heading toward the blaze, dispatchers or firefighters may call back if additional information is needed from callers about specifics around the fire.

“Sometimes we will need to check back with callers to confirm the location or to check on the status of the fire. This will ensure we have the right resources going to each fire. These calls can be invaluable as fires can change quickly,” said Johnson. “Overall, our goal is to attack fires swiftly and aggressively before they have a chance to become large.”