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Page A-14 Shelton-Mason Journal Thursday, July 9, 2020
By Justin Johnson
justin@masoncounly. com
A cool and dry start to the sum—
mer has kept fire danger in Mason
County low, but local fire officials
want people to continue to be cau-
tions.
“We have experienced several
small wildfire incidents over the last
few weeks in Mason County,” K.C.
Whitehouse, battalion chief with
Central Mason Fire & EMS, wrote in
an email Monday. “All of them have
been in grass and other light vegeta—
tion. That is our primary concern go-
ing into this summer.
“The light vegetation, such as
grass and light brush, grew heavily
over the course of our wet spring and
now creates a dense, uniform conti—
nuity of fuel across the landscape,
which can easily carry fire into
heavier fuels and moves much faster
than fires in timber.”
’The National Weather Service
and Northwest Predictive Services
Center recently put out an updated
fire season outlook, and predicts that
Western Washington will likely see
below normal temperatures for the
remainder of July before transition-
ing to above normal temperatures
from August to October.
“With that, our concern is that we
may have a late fire season,” White-
house wrote. “This is a similar set of
conditions that we ran into in back
in 2012 when we had the Powerline
2 fire north of Shelton, which burned
229 acres during the first week of
October.” .
Central Mason Fire & EMS Fire
Chief Mike Patti wrote in a July 6
email that the Mason County fire
chiefs are scheduled to meet Mon-
day, and that a season burn ban
would likely come up at that meet-
mg.
Patti wrote that burn bans in the
county, which are formally enacted
by Mason County’s acting Fire Mar-
shal Dave Windom, would normally
go in effect around July 15 and ex—
tend through Oct. 15.
Due to extremely dry spring con-
ditions in 2019, Mason County en-
acted a longer burn ban that began
in May and lasted until October.
“I have prepared some fire restric-
tions in case it’s needed,” Windom
wrote in a Monday email. “Right
now, we’re at 11-15% fuel moisture
content and the forecast is pretty
much the same for next week. We’ll
keep an’ eye on the fuel moisture
and coordinate with (Department of
Natural Resources).” ‘
As conditions dry out, the county
can implement a phased approach
as it has done over recent years,
Windom wrote. A burn ban would
initially restrict outdoor burning for
brush and yard debris.
West Mason Fire Chief Matt We-
lander wrote in an email that his
concerns are the same as every year.
“I am worried that people will
V become complacent and not be as
vigilant as needed with their fires,”
Welander wrote. “This year will be
a little different for everyone due to
COVID-19 concerns.”
Welander added that predictions
Mason County fire chiefs keeping an eye on conditions
for the eastern side of Washington
are for a drier-than-normal summer
and likely means that crews from
Mason County will be over to help
fight those fires.
“All fire chiefs in the county are
very aware of the potential for fires
here and there,” Welander wrote.
“We have all worked to set up rota-
tions and mutual aid plans to make .
sure that everyone here, and there,
is taken care of. Our crews will also
be taking extra precautions when
traveling to fires. We will be more
self—contained than in the past. Each
crew will have the ability to work 72
to 96 (hours) basically unsupported.
Most units will have more food than
normal and many have been set up
with camp stoves to heat meals.”
Whitehouse wrote that Central
Mason Fire & EMS has taken sev-
eral proactive steps to meet the wild-
fire threat, including the purchase of
an additional wildland firefighting
engine, staffing a cooperative engine
with DNR and certifying additional
staff as wildland firefighters.
LuckyDog Casino reopens With virus precautions
By Gordon Weeks
gordon@masoncounty.com
Faceemasked patrons are
again seeking fortunes play-
ing slot machines such as the
Temple of Fire and Invad-
ers from the Planet Moolah
with the reopening July 1 of
the Lucky Dog Casino on the
Skokomish Tribal reserva—
tion.
. The reopening of the casino
on US. Highway 101 after
three months of closure to help
limit the spread of the coro-
navirus comes with changes,
such as the hand sanitizer on
top of the ATM machine. It
also comes with new rules.
Patrons are required to
wear protective masks or face
coverings. Smoking-is not per-
mitted inside the casino.
The casino has added hand
sanitization stations and has
increased cleaning and sani-
tization routines. Plexiglass
A customer adjusts
his face mask Tuesday
before entering the
Lucky ‘Dog Casino on
the Skokomish Tribe
reservation. The threat
of the coronavirus
1. closedth‘e’nfiam
March 16, and the '
doors reopened July
1. Journal photoby
Gordon Weeks
barriers have been installed. ,
Social distancing of 6 feet be-
tween patrons is encouraged.
Temperatures are being
taken of all patrons and em-
ployees as they enter. Anyone
with a temperature of more
than 100 degrees will not be
allowed inside.
The employees have been
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trained on the coronavirus
and on personal protective
equipment. The maximum oc-
cupancy for the casino and its
restaurant have been reduced.
In a press release, the
Skokomish Tribe states the
safety and sanitization plan
aligns with recommendations
made by the Centers for Dis-
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ease Control and Prevention
and local health officials.
.“After three months of clo-
sure, we are prepared and
excited to be back. welcoming
guests to Lucky Dog Casino,”
Site, Inc. CEO, David Owens
stated in the press release.
He added, “We look forward
to seeing everyone back, and
Sift? PA
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BOTTEESll
Small
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'W.‘ 1 50 Sanderson Way‘
Shelton, WA 98584
1-800-826-8959 0 (360) 427-8084
we feel we are providing the
safest environment possible.
Although we may be wearing
_a mask, we are smiling wide.”
For updates on the casino,
go to myluckydogcasino.com.
Mason County’s other casi-
no, the Squaxin Island Tribe’s
Little Creek Casino Resort,
reopened May 18. Patrons are
Sons
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required to wear a face mask
that covers their mouth and
nose, have their temperature
taken to ensure it doesn’t top
100.4 degrees and show valid
ID. Inside, half of the slot ma-
chines have been removed to
create social distancing. Lim-
ited seating is available for
table games.
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