State Department of Natural Resources awaits new wildfire funds; residents can help - The Columbian
Gig Harbor Fire Asks Residents To Get Ready For Wildfire Season | Gig Harbor, WA Patch
Wildfire season has started extra early this year, and Gig Harbor Fire is reminding everyone to double-check and make sure your home is ready in case of an emergency.
May is Wildfire Community Preparedness Month, and in keeping with the season, Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One is sharing a few home safety preparedness tips.
Richland Emergency Services: Wildfire is under control - YakTriNews.com
RICHLAND, Wash. — Smoke billowed through the air near the Yakima River Delta and Highway 240 through the entire afternoon into Wednesday night, but local authorities say that the brush fires are under control.
According to Richland Emergency Services, the wildfire is being monitored by two dedicated fire crews tonight. Though the fire hasn’t been fully extinguished, it’s expected to fizzle out naturally in a specified burn zone. Richland Police confirmed that there is no active threat posed to the public.
In Effort To Prepare For Summer, Franz Launches Wildfire Ready Neighbors! Campaign – PNW AG Network
To help the state prepare for what she calls a potentially catastrophic wildfire season, Washington Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz recently kicked off the Wildfire Ready Neighbors! program. The campaign connects those in wildfire prone areas with efforts and tools to help home and property owners take proactive step action to better protect their belongings from wildfire.
Dry conditions in Central Oregon portend another explosive fire season | Timber | capitalpress.com
BEND, Ore. — Seven months ago, Central Oregonians felt the impact of some of the worst wildfires in this state’s history. Now there is growing concern that dry fuels across the region could ignite even bigger fires this year.
Tinderbox conditions have already ignited several fires around Central Oregon this year, even as higher elevations are still blanketed with snow. Part of that is due to a drying out of the forests at lower elevations, which are experiencing some of the lowest moisture levels recorded in years.
DNR Implements new burn restrictions | Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune
OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is implementing temporary burn restrictions on DNR-protected lands in the Northwest Region, the Pacific Cascade Region, and the Northeast Region.
For the next week, DNR is asking the public to avoid conducting outdoor debris burns as much as possible. Fire danger is rising in Washington due to dry and warming weather conditions and gusty winds that can spread a wildfire quickly through dry grasses and forests.
Inside Washington’s $328M push to prevent disastrous wildfires | Crosscut
After a devastating wildfire season that saw a baby boy die and 1,200 square miles of the state burn, Washington lawmakers are poised to fight fire with money. A lot of money.
Legislation that’s received unanimous support would see Washington spend an additional $125 million over the next two years to extinguish, prevent and live with fires. Both legislative houses have passed House Bill 1168 and Gov. Jay Inslee is expected to sign the bill, which would see the state spend $328 million on the efforts by 2027.
California wildfire season: It's coming quickly and it's coming earlier, forecasters warn - CNN
(CNN)The wildfire season "is coming quickly and it's coming earlier."
That's the message from meteorologist Eric Kurth and the National Weather Service in Sacramento, California, as the state deals with a crippling drought and vegetation and grasses that are already beginning to brown.
"We are seeing record levels of dryness for this time of year. It's more like what we would see later in June than mid-April," said Kurth.
Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz Launches Wildfire Ready Program in Chelan County Monday – NewsRadio 560 KPQ
Washington Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz was in Wenatchee Monday morning to announce the launch of the Wildfire Ready program.
Assistance Available For Central Washington Producers Impacted By Labor Day Fire – PNW AG Network
Producers in southcentral Washington impacted by a wildfire Labor Day weekend near Kahlotus may receive financial assistance from the FSA. The department is implementing the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) due to damage caused by this wildfire to livestock fence and livestock water troughs. The Monday September 7th fire was exacerbated by high winds and burned a large portion of Washington’s Franklin County.
Smoke from wildfires wiped out the United State’s pandemic-related clean air gains in 2020 - The Washington Post
The country’s average for the deadliest type of air pollution rose nearly 7 percent over 2019
State lawmakers have long called for dedicated wildfire funding; this could be the year it happens | The Spokesman-Review
OLYMPIA – After a historically deadly and destructive 2020 wildfire season, lawmakers are looking at ways to invest in forest health and wildfire prevention. A bill that passed the state House of Representatives unanimously last week might do just that.
Deadline Approaches For Wildfire-Related Loans | Spokane Public Radio
The Small Business Administration says the window is still open for people and firms harmed by last September’s wildfires.
The federal agency is reminding eastern Washington and north Idaho residents interested in wildfire-related loans due to last September’s fires that they must apply by April 12.
State House OK’s long-term plan to prevent and fight wildfires – Washington State House Democrats
In the 1990s, Washington lost 86,000 acres a year to wildfires. By 2015 the average had climbed to nearly a half million acres a year. Last year? 812,000 acres of forests and grassland were destroyed by wildfires, not to mention homes, businesses, and lives.
Washington House Approves Wildfire Prevention/Resilient Forest Bill | Spokane Public Radio
Franz says the dedicated fund will fund projects that help rural towns that are vulnerable to wildfires. They include treating forests to lessen the density and creating fire breaks to direct flames away from populated areas.
Washington forms healthy snowpack after snowiest February in 20 years | king5.com
A good snowpack means more water for farmers who need irrigation this summer, as well as municipal water supplies. It can also help mitigate wildfire season.
12th District Senator Brad Hawkins Utility Wildfire Legislation Passes Out of State Senate – NewsRadio 560 KPQ
The Senate unanimously passed 12th District Senator Brad Hawkins Senate Bill 5158, legislation to implement the Electric Utilities Wildland Fire Prevention Task Force recommendations for wildfire prevention.
Digital maps show how climate change’s impact in WA isn’t equal | Crosscut
From floods to wildfires, mapping programs in Cascadia are showing scientists which communities face higher risk.
What conservationists want to see in upcoming budget proposals - Washington State Wire
To hear about what key players in Washington’s broad environmental coalition would like to see prioritized in budget proposals, I spoke to Adam Maxwell, Campaigns Manager for the Washington Audubon Society, a group focused on conserving natural ecosystems and building healthy communities.
Shrub-steppe Fire Recovery & Resilience — The Nature Conservancy in Washington
The fire impacted rabbits and sage grouse across their range, further complicating the recovery of each of these very at-risk species. Burned-bare soil across the landscape lies vulnerable to rapid colonization by quick-spreading invasive plants and grasses.
Geologists predict sweeping debris flows in in area scarred by Palmer Fire in Okanogan County | Columbia Basin | ifiberone.com
LOOMIS - The United States Geological Survey recently reported that the area just east of Palmer Lake will likely experience drastic flooding this spring as the snow melts and rain falls.
The flood risk and debris flow hazard is a result of burn scarring caused by the 13,000-acre Palmer Fire in mid-August of 2020.
Funding Available To Help North Central Oregon Land Owners Improve Forest Health – PNW AG Network
Private forestland owners in Oregon’s Wasco County are encouraged to reduce the risk of wildfire and improve their forest health with help from the NRCS. The restoration effort, called the Central Wasco County All-Lands Project, is funded by the Joint Chiefs Landscape Restoration Initiative, a partnership between NRCS and the Forest Service. The overall goal is to reduce the risk of wildfires on both public and private lands.
Rep. Joe Neguse Wants Wildfire Prevention To Be A Feature In Biden’s Infrastructure Plans | Colorado Public Radio
In an interview with CPR News, Neguse said he plans to use the post to shift the federal approach on wildfire prevention. As one of his first actions, he introduced a bill for a 21st Century Conservation Corps, which would direct more than $40 billion to protect public lands and hire a new generation of forest managers. He hopes Biden makes it a part of an expected infrastructure package.
Surging snowpack can have positive impact on salmon, slow start to wildfire season | KOMO
Latest report on prescribed burning shows an encouraging, upward trend in its utilization nationwide - National Association of State Foresters
Researchers add up cost of wildfire smoke | Rural Life | capitalpress.com
The damage caused by wildfires can be devastating, but the smoke from the annually recurring blazes also delivers economic damage to areas that have never been touched by the flames
FEMA Approves Wildfire Aid For Eastern Washington Counties | Spokane Public Radio
Combination of ground and aerial reseeding in Wenas Wildlife Area totals over 1,300 acres to date | Local | yakimaherald.com
Colorado’s East Troublesome Wildfire May Signal A New Era Of Big Fire Blow-ups | Colorado Public Radio
Lawmakers Ask President Biden To Act On Washington Wildfire Relief After Trump Refused | Northwest Public Broadcasting