Fire officials are warning residents in the Puget Sound region about increased fire danger expected this summer due to uncommonly high temperatures and less-than-average precipitation. That danger is expected to increase severely when illegal fireworks start flying for the Fourth of July.

The region has already experienced more brush fires this season than it did last year, said Bellevue Fire Lt. Rich Burke, with one occurring last week along Interstate 5 and another near Fire Station No. 6. The state suffered one of the worst fire seasons in history last year, the record-breaking Carlton Complex Fire burning an area nearly five times as large as Seattle.

Long-range weather forecasts call for high temperatures over the next three months, but without the precipitation that tends to linger in the region during the summer. Burke remembers years past when rain would come down on the Fourth of July.

“It’s going to be a very long summer,” he said, “and we need the community’s help.”

Bellevue fire crews began training for tackling brush fires — the department historically dealing more with structure fires — in April and spent part of this week at Camp Don Bosco in Carnation for wildfire training with Eastside Fire and Rescue, Bothell and Woodinville.

Fireworks are banned in Bellevue — with permitted exceptions like the city and Bellevue Downtown Association’s annual Fourth of July event — and those violating the ban face a misdemeanor or possibly going before a hearing examiner for determination of damages and associated penalties.

The Bellevue Fire Department is again rolling out a program started last year with the police department, which pairs up a fire prevention officer and law enforcement officer on the Fourth to respond to fireworks calls, said Bellevue Fire Marshal Ken Carlson. The prevention officer will be able to assist the police officer in determining what actions to take during illegal fireworks calls, he said. Burke added a number of trouble areas identified last year will see an increased police presence.

“We’ve expanded upon that, in conjunction with Bellevue Police this year,” he said.

As for the official Fourth of July display in Bellevue, Carlson said the bevy of construction companies working on projects downtown are concerned about the safety of their work trailers located nearby. A plan to move a number of them will likely be developed as the holiday approaches, he said.

Residents wanting to learn tips for safeguarding their properties from fire dangers this summer are encouraged to check out firewise.org, a project of the National Fire Protection Association.