Montesano Fire Department

09/01/2026

🚒 🌊 Training at Lake Sylvia State Park

Last night, the Montesano Fire Department headed out to Lake Sylvia State Park for some hands-on learning focused on Water Rescue Awareness.

Captain Gene Goodner taught the crew about recognizing hazards, evaluating water rescue situations, and most importantly, keeping our firefighters safe while operating around the water.

You never know what the next call is going to bring, so we train for it! 💪

A big thank you to Captain Goodner for sharing his experience and knowledge with the crew, and to all of our members who continue to put in the work to stay ready for our community.

📸 Check out some photos from last night’s training!

08/27/2026

08/19/2026

08/10/2026

🚒 Montesano Fire Department Out & About Today! 🚒

If you see members of the Montesano Fire Department out in the community today, don’t worry — we’re not responding to an emergency! 👋

Our crews are out conducting fire hydrant inspections and building inspections throughout the community. These routine inspections are an important part of keeping our water supply and local businesses/buildings ready in the event of an emergency.

💧 Hydrant inspections help ensure hydrants are accessible, functioning properly, and ready when firefighters need them.

🏢 Building inspections help us become familiar with local businesses and buildings, identify potential hazards, and better understand the structures we may be called to during an emergency.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as our crews work to help keep Montesano safe, prepared, and protected.

As always, if you see us out and about, feel free to say hello! 👋🚒

Montesano Fire Department
Serving our community since 1892.

08/10/2026

🔥 WILDFIRE UPDATE | LITTLE GIANT FIRE 🔥

Our Montesano Fire crew continues to work hard on the Little Giant Fire, which has now grown to approximately 111,429 acres and remains at just 2% containment.

Our crew — Seth Caton, Kyle Caton, Michael Neal, Daylon Schroeder, Adam Schmitz, and Gabe Bodwell — has been assigned to the East Structure Group in Branch XX, where they have been working directly to help protect homes and other structures in the fire area.

Their current assignments include:

🏠 Preparing structures and the surrounding areas for potential fire impact
🌲 Clearing debris, overgrown brush, and other fuels around structures
💦 Assisting with the placement and setup of sprinklers
🚒 Identifying drafting locations and establishing reliable water supply options
🧯 Helping create defensible space and improve access for firefighters working in the area

This work may not always be as visible as active fire suppression, but structure preparation is a critical part of protecting communities when wildfire threatens homes and neighborhoods.

We’re proud of our six volunteers for continuing to represent Montesano Fire Department and our community while working alongside crews from across the state.

Stay safe, gentlemen. Montesano is behind you! ❤️‍🔥

📸 Action photos from the Little Giant Fire will be posted below.

08/05/2026

National night out in Montesano tonight. Great to see the community out tonight!

08/04/2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Joint Response for Natural Gas Leak and Suspicious White Powder Hazardous Materials Investigation in Montesano

Montesano, Wash. — Multiple local, county, state, and federal partners are actively responding to two separate incidents currently occurring within the City of Montesano.

At 2:00 p.m. this afternoon, emergency responders were dispatched to a reported natural gas leak within the City of Montesano. Fourteen minutes later, at 2:16 p.m., responders received a second call regarding a suspicious white powder discovered at the Montesano Thriftway grocery store. While these incidents occurred within a short period of time and required a significant coordinated response, they are being treated as two separate incidents.

Due to the proximity of the natural gas incident to residences and the Grays Harbor County facilities, evacuation orders were put into place. Evacuation included the Grays Harbor County campus and Jail. Jail inmates were safely evacuated to an alternate secure location. The evacuation was completed without incident through the coordinated efforts of numerous law enforcement partners.

For the suspicious white powder incident, emergency responders immediately secured the area surrounding Thriftway while initiating hazardous materials response protocols. As a precaution, the Washington National Guard Civil Support Team (CST) from Camp Murray and the Washington State Department of Ecology responded to assist with the investigation. The suspicious substance was evaluated and eventually came back as Albumin Bovine Serum commonly known as a form of protein powder. The responders followed established hazardous materials procedures to ensure the safety of the public and response personnel.

To support community members that were displaced by the evacuations, a temporary assistance location was established at Beacon Elementary School. That location closed at 8:00 PM and there were no individuals that checked in for assistance.

City of Montesano Public Works and Staff, Grays Harbor County Emergency Management, Montesano School District, Grays Harbor County Public Health, Grays Harbor Fire District 2, East Grays Harbor Fire And Rescue, Hoquiam Fire Department, McLane Black Lake Fire Department, Aberdeen Fire Department , Grays Harbor Sheriff's Office, Cascade Natural Gas, Aberdeen Police Department, Hoquiam Police Department, City of Elma and the Washington State Department of Corrections responded and supported the incident.

# # #

08/03/2026

FINAL UPDATE 8:15 PM
The leak has been secured, evacuation levels have been lifted and streets are starting to be reopen. Individuals returning to evacuated residences are asked to contact the Grays Harbor 9-1-1 non-emergency line if they have any odor of natural gas. The suspicious powder was tested and came back and found to be a non hazardous substance.

UPDATE 4:15 PM
Cascade Natural Gas is on scene making repairs. The City of Montesano and supporting agencies are still on scene ensuring public safety.

Evacuation notices have been given for immediate areas surround Grays Harbor County facilities. Spruce Avenue from 3rd to Main Street and Broadway to West Beacon Ave have been evacuated. A temporary shelter has been stood up at Beacon elementary school Gym for displaced residents.

Additionally, Montesano Fire and Police Department are currently investigating a report of an unknown substance at Thriftway. Out of abundance of caution, a person was transported to a nearby medical facility for further evaluation. Thriftway in Montesano is currently closed.

3:15 PM
Montesano Police and Fire, along with Cascade Natural Gas are currently on the scene of a Hazmat incident involving a natural Gas leak on Spruce Ave and 1st Street. Please avoid the area. More details will be available as they come.

07/31/2026

The Montesano Fire Department is proud to support the statewide wildland firefighting effort as six of our volunteer firefighters have deployed to the Giant Fire near Chelan, a Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) managed incident.

Please join us in wishing Seth Caton, Kyle Caton, Michael Neal, Daylon Schroeder, Adam Schmitz, and Gabe Bodwell a safe deployment as they assist crews from across the state in protecting lives, property, and Washington’s natural resources.

The Giant Fire has grown to approximately 28,493 acres and remains 0% contained. Firefighters are facing steep terrain, hot and dry conditions, and challenging firefighting operations as they work to slow the fire’s spread.

We are grateful for these volunteers’ commitment to serving not only our community, but communities across Washington when they need it most. Thank you for answering the call, and we wish you a safe and successful assignment.

07/29/2026

With deep sadness, Lacey Firefighters IAFF Local 2903 shares the news of our brother Jake Johnson’s passing.

Jake joined Local 2903 as a lateral firefighter after serving with Mountain View Firefighters Local 3186. He quickly became a trusted teammate, a friend, and an important part of our family.

We are deeply grateful for the support shown to Jake, his family, and our members. The prayers, messages, and acts of kindness have meant more than we can express.

We also extend our sincere thanks to Olympia Firefighters Local 468, Tumwater Firefighters Local 2409, and the medical teams at Providence St. Peter Hospital and Harborview Medical Center for their care and compassion.

Our hearts remain with Jake’s family, friends, and all who are grieving his loss. We ask that their privacy be respected during this difficult time.

Memorial service details will be shared when available.

Jake, you will always be remembered as our brother, teammate, and friend. Your Local 2903 family will carry your memory with us.