Our View: Our region, ripe for blazes, could learn from others

So the last time you set a small outdoor fire at your home without a permit, did you know that you had to restrict its size, build it a certain distance from flammable material, watch it at all times, have a designated extinguishing device at the ready and check for air-quality alerts?

That isn’t just common-sense advice, it’s the law. And for good reason.

Just ask the 11 families who lost their houses, or the multitude of residents in and around the Spokane Valley fire who had to evacuate and worry about family members, pets and precious possessions, or the firefighters who worked to exhaustion while battling the blazes raging in the Dishman-Mica hills.

And, finally, you can ask the taxpayers who will probably shoulder most of the estimated $3 million (and counting) spent to control a wildfire that could easily have been prevented.

The story at this point is that a teenager wanted to roast marshmallows in a tree stump on a vacant lot. The stump had been used as a fire pit for years by next-door neighbors. An adult in that house granted permission. Three days later, the fire broke out and was quickly spread by high winds. We hasten to add that the facts are still under investigation and knowledge about what happened could change. But if this scenario holds up, it carries a lesson for us all.

We live in a region ripe for wildfires. They happen every year. They are as predictable as tornadoes in the Midwest and hurricanes along the Gulf Coast.

In those regions, people stock up on plywood, nails and duct tape. They build cellars and other shelters. Building and construction codes reflect the realities. Evacuation notices are taken seriously.

There, prevention and emergency preparedness are a way of life. They need to be taken more seriously here.

Follow the fire codes when setting fires. Build a defensible perimeter if you live among the trees. Some people prefer the “natural look,” so they fail to clear out potential fuels.

But it isn’t natural for a house to be there in the first place. So those who choose to live near wildlands have a civic duty to take precautions.

For everyone’s sake, please don’t learn the hard way.