Fire 17, Brinnon Fire fight about merger

Mason County Fire District 17 based in Lilliwaup, and Brinnon Fire appear to be at odds with each other over a recent proposal for the two fire districts to merge.

According to a Dec. 31 letter to the community, Brinnon Fire Chief Tim Manly submitted a merger proposal for the two districts to “streamline resources and provide even better patient services. A merger would have increased Mason County levy rates proportional to Jefferson County residents.”

The two fire districts had been working with each other as mutual aid partners.

“We were backing each other up as people would do, but then as...