Some people think wildfire is only a concern for Central and Eastern Washington and not the wetter western half of the state. Wildfires however have historically burned on the west side and do happen regularly during our dry summers and early falls when conditions are right. Climate change models and climate researchers are also predicting more frequent and larger wildfires in Western Washington. Recently KING 5 News did a reporting series on wildfire in western Washington that featured a community in Redmond that KCD has helped become more wildfire resilient. Checkout the video and learn how local communities and homeowners are taking action to reduce their risk.
If your home and property are at risk of damage from a wildfire, what should you do around your home to improve your wildfire resiliency?
Some high impact practices you can do around any home or other structure to improve wildfire resiliency include:
- Keep your roof and gutters clear of leaves, twigs, needles and other flammable materials.
- Move any flammable material away from the exterior of your home or other structures, including firewood piles, construction material and anything that can burn. And remove anything stored under decks or porches.
- Replace flammable mulch material adjacent to your home or other structures with non-flammable material, such as rock.
- Keep vegetation outside of the 5-foot area around your home or other structures, or replace highly flammable plants with fire resistant plants.
King Conservation District staff are available to help as well by providing a wildfire risk assessment to evaluate your home’s and/or your community’s wildfire risk and give recommendations for improving wildfire resiliency. KCD’s recommendations are based on each site’s unique conditions, goals and ability to complete work.