SEATTLE — On Tuesday, Washington's Department of Natural Resources (WADNR) announced it will expand its Wildfire Ready Neighbors program to western Washington.
All residents will be able to get customized information, while homeowners in Pierce, Thurston and Mason counties can also receive at-home consultations regarding wildfire preparedness. The department hopes additional funding from the Legislature could help that program expand to another five counties.
“It doesn’t matter where you live, no one is immune from the danger of wildfires," Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz said in a news release. "Last year’s Bolt Creek, Goat Rocks and Nakia Creek fires are just a few examples of recent fires that threatened homes and properties in western Washington."
The Wildfire Ready Neighbors program emphasizes taking manageable steps to make homes and neighborhoods more resilient to wildfires, taking into account each community's unique wildfire risks.
Wildfire Ready Neighbors initially launched in 2021 and has been offered in Chelan, Okanogan, Spokane, Yakima, Kittitas, and Klickitat counties. So far, more than 4,000 homeowners have signed up to receive free custom action plans.
WADNR says more wildfires have been impacting the west side of the state.
"We are seeing increasing catastrophic wildfires, and most of those fires have been in eastern Washington but the reality is we're getting to the point where 30-35% of our fires these days are to the west of the Cascades," Commissioner Franz said.
Orting Fire Chief Zane Gibson says making homes "firewise"-- creating defensible space and removing factors that make a house more likely to catch fire -- can mean the difference between a home making it through a firefight or not.
"Not only will it keep your home safe and potentially your family safe but also keeps our firefighters safe since it's easier to manage the fire when the community is firewise," Gibson said.
Former KING 5 reporter Glenn Farley covered the increase in fires on the west side and mitigation efforts for decades.
"Something I think people really need to pay attention to that we talked about a lot- is the vulnerability of homes, neighborhoods on the west side of the state," Farley said. "Especially people moving into the state from out of state who think, 'Oh it does nothing but rain, we're inoculated, we're protected.'"
To learn more about the Wildfire Ready program and how to access available resources, click here.