State assistance has been mobilized under the Washington State Fire Services Resource Mobilization Plan in support of local fire resources working to assist with flooding located in South King County near the cities of Auburn and Kent, according to the Washington State Patrol.

Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste authorized the mobilization of state resources at 9 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, at the request of Kent-based Puget Sound Fire Chief Mark Jones and Auburn-based Valley Regional Fire Authority Chief Brad Thompson.

Prolonged and excessive rain has resulted in widespread flooding of area rivers, according to State Patrol. Flood waters are currently threatening residential neighborhoods, commercial property, utilities, and access routes. Level 1, 2, and 3 evacuations are in effect at this time.

The State Emergency Operations Center at Camp Murray is activated to Level 1, full activation, to help coordinate state assistance for the flooding. Mobilization specialists from the Fire Protection Bureau have ordered one FEMA USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) Team to aid in response efforts. State Fire Marshal’s Office personnel are working remotely to coordinate the dispatch of resources.

Under the State Fire Services Resource Mobilization Plan, the Fire Protection Bureau coordinates the initial dispatch and continued administrative oversight of resources and personnel for the duration of the mobilization. The Mobilization Plan is implemented to provide a process to quickly notify, assemble and deploy fire service personnel, equipment, and other resources from around the state when fires, disasters or other events exceed the capacity of local jurisdictions.

Under state law RCW 43.43.961, the Fire Service Resource Mobilization Plan is implemented to provide personnel, equipment, and other logistical resources when a wildland fire or other emergency exceeds the firefighting capacity of local jurisdictions.