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Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Firefighters in western WA train for possibility of 'above average' wildfire season
The Brief Wildfires are now an annual threat in western Washington, intensified by climate change. Fire agencies across the state are proactively preparing and training for an "above average" wildfire season. Public cooperation is crucial, as over 85% of wildfires are human-caused, officials warn. NORTH BEND, Wash. - Once a rare occurrence, wildfires have become an annual threat in western Washington. Fire agencies in the region said the risk intensifies every year due to climate change. Now, crews are proactively preparing themselves and the public for the upcoming season. "People need to understand that it's time to prepare. It's time to harden your home. It's time to be ready for those fires that are going to occur in western Washington on the wildland urban interface," said Ryan Rodruck, the state lands and wildfire communications manager for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Big picture view Firefighters from 16 regional agencies participated in the annual "Ready, Set, Go!" Evacuation and Wildfire Firefighting Demonstration Day, held in North Bend. The yearly training gives wildland firefighters an opportunity to join forces to spread awareness of emergency evacuation procedures, provide education about wildfire mitigation practices, and demonstrate wildfire firefighting techniques. "There are fires now happening in western Washington that we need to be prepared for. We just witnessed it in Palisades. Those people weren't prepared for what occurred," said Seth Merritt, battalion chief with Eastside Fire & Rescue. Merritt was one of four members from Eastside Fire & Rescue that were called to help in the destructive Palisades Wildfire in California. It scorched nearly 24,000 acres full of homes and businesses in January. Washington experienced similar devastation with the Sumner-Grade Fire in 2020, and the Bolt Creek Fire in 2022. Merritt said lessons learned from all those fires help local agencies train their crews for the possibility of more threats. "It's learning how to work with each other's equipment, with each other's processes so that when the incident does happen, we're better prepared," said Merritt. "There's new firefighters and seasoned veterans that are out here going through this training, working together, going through different stations in that training." Though it's still early in the year, the DNR is already estimating this could be an "above average" wildfire season. "We have the aircraft we need. We have the resources we need, and we're well-prepared to serve the residence of the state of Washington," said Rodruck. "DNR is very well-prepared to address those fires that occur under our protection, but it's very important for folks to help us in fighting those fires and have a plan and harden your home." While the DNR is prepared to fight the flames in its jurisdiction, Rodruck said some federal resources could be in question in the future. "We have had some concerns over those federal cuts. DNR as a state agency is prepared to address those fires that happen on our jurisdiction. I think what's concerning is the lack of communication that has come from the federal government while they've been making changes to wildfire," said Rodruck. Officials with other agencies, like Eastside, said they have added more resources to better equip themselves for the upcoming and future wildfire seasons. "We've upped our preparedness level. We've added hose and tool compliments to our first-out engines so that we're more ready to deal with wildland. We also are adding two new brush trucks next week, which brings our brush truck fleet to the highest it's ever been with six," said Merritt. The local, county and state fire agencies said its crews are prepared for the wildland fire season. However, they are still relying on members of the public to use caution and help reduce the risk. King County Emergency Management said more than 85% of wildland fires are caused by humans. "The risk in western Washington is greatly increasing," said Brendan McCluskey, director of King County Emergency Management. McCluskey said part of the annual wildland fire training is also teaching crews how to educate community members on wildfire preparedness and mitigation practices. He said property owners can start their preparations by creating a safety plan, especially when responding to the three levels of evacuation, "Ready, Set, Go." "We want people to understand that when an evacuation order is issued, we want them to pay attention to it. We also want them to do things like have a kit ready, including a kit in their car. Have a plan to evacuate where they're going to go. And be able to get messages to things like Alert King County," said McCluskey. The Source Information in this story came from Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Eastside Fire & Rescue and King County Emergency Management. Recovery effort underway after boat sinks in Possession Sound near Everett, WA Shawn Kemp lawyers claim bias in Tacoma Mall shooting case as trial nears Federal judge blocks Trump's dismantling of the Department of Education 'Where is Teekah?': Mother speaks out after Tacoma, WA cold case Activist marks 2 weeks in tree to protest logging near Port Angeles Driver arrested after deadly crash in Kent, WA To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter. Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Wildfire risk is amping up; Snohomish County is trying to get ahead of it
Wildfire risk is amping up in Western Washington, and Snohomish County is trying to get residents prepared for it. The County has worked with partners for over a year to develop its first-ever Community Wildfire Protection Plan. The plan helps identify the highest-risk areas, outline recommendations for forest health restoration projects, prioritize areas for wildfire mitigation funding, and educate residents about ways to reduce fire risk at their properties. The county says that roughly 130,000 people, more than 15% of county residents, live in areas that could see significant risk. 'I don't think many people, especially people who are out living among the trees, are aware of the resources that might be available to help them address the wildfire risk,' said Lucia Schmit, Snohomish County's Emergency Management Director. The county will host two open-house meetings where residents can connect with first responders and other agencies to learn more about simple strategies to reduce risks at home and develop an appropriate wildfire evacuation plan. Those meetings will be held: Thursday, May 15, Stillaguamish Conference Room, City of Arlington Public Works Office, 154 W Cox Ave., Arlington, WA 98223 Thursday, May 22, Startup Event Center, 14315 366th Ave. SE, Startup, WA 98293 Residents will be able to learn more about short-term strategies, like removing dried debris from a rooftop and moving a firewood pile away from a home, as well as long-term strategies to build more fire-resistant structures. The county will also stress the importance of wildfire response and evacuation plans. 'Fire is a natural part of the ecosystem, and we're not going to be able to stop every fire that starts,' Schmit said. A recent survey of 1,100 county residents found that 34% did not have a wildfire evacuation plan. The survey also showed that concern for wildfires is up. Nearly six in ten respondents said they were 'more concerned' or 'much more concerned' about the safety of their family, home, and assets from wildfire than they were five years ago. The county has drilled down into the data to identify some of the highest-risk areas. You can explore your risk level here. 'We're around 119,000 acres of wilderness butting up to the town,' said Blaire Corson, who lives in Index, one of the areas that has and could see some of the worst risk of wildfires. 'There's a lot of fuel out here, and we've had some drier summers.' Corson, who co-owns the Bush House Inn in Index, had a front-row seat to that risk in 2022, during the Bolt Creek Fire. He stayed behind to help protect structures from fire. 'We wetted down roofs and things to help keep the keep the ash out of the gutters,' he said. He said the town has taken more steps in recent years to mitigate risks, including changing fireworks policies and adding more wildfire signs, but he hopes people take the time to learn more. 'We need to get more of the public to know and help them prepare for what's next,' he said.
