Mutually beneficial burn removes weeds, provides training

SOAP LAKE — A routine spring cleanup turned into one of Grant County Fire District 7’s most valuable training opportunities Saturday, according to GCFD 7 officials, when firefighters partnered with the City of Soap Lake to burn out heavy weed growth in the city’s treated water holding ponds and practice wildland firefighting on a live fire. GCFD 7 Wildland Captain Jake Friesen said the idea started as a simple request from the city. “The city has their treated water holding ponds up there, and they asked for our help to clear them out,” Friesen said. “I was like, ‘Absolutely, because we can use that as a wildland training opportunity for our guys as well as helping the city out.’ So, it’s mutually beneficial.”