Wildfire protection meetings planned

Five public meetings are scheduled this month to discuss a wildfire protection plan being developed for Spokane County.

The plan, required by the national Healthy Forests Restoration Act, is to cover land management and other measures for reducing fire danger in semirural areas.

Wildfire mitigation specialists will present a slide show, answer questions and take public comments at meetings in Cheney, Nine Mile Falls, Orchard Prairie, Chattaroy and the Ponderosa area of Spokane Valley.

Here is the schedule:

•Monday, 6:30 p.m., at the Cheney Public Library, 610 First St.

•Tuesday, 6 p.m., at Fire District 9’s Station 93, 9915 W. Charles Road.

•Wednesday, 6 p.m., at Fire District 9’s Station 94, at the corner of Bigelow Gulch and Jensen roads.

•Thursday, 6:30 p.m., at Fire District 4’s Station 42, 3219 E. Chattaroy Road.

•Tuesday, March 18, 6:30 p.m., at Ponderosa Elementary School, 10105 E. Cimmaron Drive.

For more information, call Janean Creighton at the Spokane County Extension Office, (509) 477-2199.