WA lands commissioner urges wildfire safety awareness as summer begins
YAKIMA – Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz urges Washington residents to take precautions to not start wildfires ahead of Memorial Day weekend festivities.
“Every time we have a vacation holiday weekend everybody loves getting outside, and sometimes that leads to danger if they’re not being wildfire safe,” Franz said during an online news conference Friday morning. “This weekend kicks off our summer wildfire season.”
The state is anticipating a hot, dry and windy summer. Drought conditions have continued from last summer until now. Some level of precipitation is expected this weekend and in June statewide.
As for how how many fires are possible this year, it’s anyone’s guess.
“I threw out my crystal ball, frankly, a long time ago,” Franz said. “Our strategy is prepare for the worst and hope for the best.”
There have been 215 fires in the state this year. The Department of Natural Resources is prepared: firefighting crews and aircraft can reach every corner of the state within 30 minutes, she said.
Franz gave insights into last year’s season, which was one of the busiest on record with more than 1,800 ignitions. For the first time in recorded history, more were on the West Side than the east, she said.
It was also one of the safest for firefighters, with one severe injury.
“Our goal is always zero,” she said.
Most fires are human-caused. A third of wildfires last year were caused by out-of-control yard burns, she said.
Other causes of unintentional wildfires include idling vehicles in tall, dry grasses; dragging tow chains on pavement; not following campfire and fireworks restrictions; and a lack of spark arrestors on ATVs and motorcycles.
The Bureau of Land Management has implemented fire restrictions on its public lands in Washington and Oregon. As of Friday, fireworks, exploding targets or metallic targets, steel component ammunition, tracer or incendiary devices, and sky lanterns are prohibited.
Questen Inghram is a Murrow News Fellow at the Yakima Herald-Republic whose beat focuses on government in central Washington communities. Email qinghram@yakimaherald.com or call 509-577-7674.