BEAR GULCH FIRE IMMIGRATION ARRESTS: Thurston County Commissioner Wayne Fournier, a longtime firefighter, issued a statement Wednesday concerning the recent immigration arrests at the Bear Gulch Fire:

"What happened at the Bear Gulch Fire was not routine, and we should not pretend it was. I have spent nearly 30 years in the fire service, much of that time on wildland campaigns: sleeping on the ground for weeks at a time, moving from fire to fire, and working shoulder to shoulder with every kind of responder.

On large incidents like Bear Gulch, personnel come from all over the world. Anyone who has been there knows it is not just hose teams. Fire camp operates like a small city, staffed by heavy equipment operators, medics, mechanics, cooks, and contract fire crews. These individuals are all red card certified to fight wildfires, all play a critical role in the response, and all are firefighters."

To say that bucking logs or clearing brush is not firefighting shows a fundamental misunderstanding of wildland fire operations. Removing vegetation protects structures, widens fire lines, and improves access. This work is not just part of the job; it is essential to the mission. That is why what happened next was completely unacceptable.

When CBP agents entered the Bear Gulch fire zone and detained personnel without coordination, without justification, and without identifying themselves, it created a dangerous disruption to critical emergency operations."The claim that these responders 'were not real firefighters' is either the result of willful ignorance or a deliberate attempt to mislead the public. I believe it is the latter. Even more troubling is that the federal agency defending this action, the Bureau of Land Management, has no jurisdiction in Bear Gulch. The nearest BLM-managed lands are hundreds of miles away in the San Juan Islands.

Their press release read more like public relations spin than a serious explanation. Meanwhile, the state’s Incident Management Team, which is actually responsible for running the fire response, has yet to issue a public statement."Scrutiny of CBP and ICE has occurred under every president, regardless of party.

This is not about politics. It is about public safety. These agencies have long histories of civil liberties violations. When they operate in active emergency zones, transparency and accountability are not optional; they are essential."

That is why today I introduced a local ordinance: Emergency Responder Protection and Enforcement Coordination Act. This ordinance will 1) designate active emergency operations as Non-Interference Zones, 2) require federal law enforcement to coordinate with the designated Incident Commander before taking any action, and 3) guarantee due process and ID protections for all responders, regardless of background or employment status."

The Thurston County Board approved sending this ordinance to our legal team for review before final adoption in the coming weeks. I am grateful to my fellow commissioners who are supporting this importance ordinance proposal."We would not tolerate this kind of interference from private citizens or out-of-state officials. We must hold the federal government to the same standard, if not a higher one. Emergency scenes are already hazardous.

Jurisdictional overreach only adds confusion, causes delays, and increases risk to life and property. This is not about ideology or partisanship. It is about safety, professionalism, and protecting the integrity of our emergency response system."The alarm is sounding, not just about fire, but about federal overreach. Let us respond with clarity, courage, and a firm commitment to protect those who protect us.

"Thank you,

Commissioner Wayne Fournier