Wild week for volunteer firefighters in Skagit County

The weekend began with a tree blocking a highway and ended with the rescue of people from a car that went down an embankment.

The Big Lake Fire Department, supported by volunteer firefighters, was busy over the weekend with limited staffing.

In the early hours of Saturday, crews responded to calls of a downed tree that was blocking a highway.

Later into Saturday, two medical calls had to be answered at the same time.

Shortly after noon on Sunday, crews had to assist at a tubing accident at a local boat launch.

The day ended with crews answering calls of a crash on Lake Cavanaugh Road where a car fell 50 feet down an embankment.

A rope and a rescue basket were required to stabilize and pull the driver and another person out of the car.

Both persons were taken to the hospital for care.

Crews praised the vehicle notification system for providing the car’s location, as locating the car would have been difficult without it.

The Big Lake Fire Department is a small rural department in Skagit County, primarily staffed by volunteers.