South Hill Brush Fire: Evacuation Lifted, Roads Reopened

PUYALLUP, WA — Deputies have lifted their evacuation order for a South Hill neighborhood as crews have gotten a handle on a brush fire burning nearby. As of 8 a.m. Thursday, road closures in the area have also been lifted.

The evacuation order was initially issued around 2 p.m. as the fire began to spread rapidly. It was lifted several hours later, once crews had gotten the fire roughly 75 percent contained around 4:30 p.m.

The previous evacuation area can be seen in red below:

A level 1 evacuation does not mean residents need to leave their homes just yet, but it does mean they need to prepare to leave at a moment's notice if the situation worsens.

Deputies say that means preparing any family members with special needs and mobile property, and gathering any pets or livestock for quick evacuation if the call comes down.

Nearby homes just outside the evacuation area were also warned to prepare to leave, though not as urgently. Now that the evacuation order has been lifted, that is no longer a concern.

The fire was first reported just before 12:40 p.m. Wednesday. According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, a 911 caller reported seeing a tree fall and strike a power line along 160th St E near 74th Ave E. The falling line then sparked a wildfire, which crews are still battling to put out.

160th St. E was closed surrounding the intersection, and other nearby roads were closed intermittently as firefighters adapted to the changing conditions.

At the fire's peak, several agencies, including Gig Harbor Fire and Graham Fire & Rescue were called to assist in battling the blaze.

At their last estimate at around 5 p.m., crews said the blaze was roughly 75 percent contained. Medics have also been called to treat a firefighter for possible heat exhaustion. No other injuries have been reported.