Sad to say that there's nothing unusual anymore about wildfires or all the smoke we get from them this time of year. It's now become an annual occurrence in North Central Washington. Also becoming a norm is a state of emergency being declared in one county or another. With the fires over the weekend near Spokane, county commissioners there declared a state of emergency. Chelan County Commissioner Tiffany Gering was asked about that on KOZI Monday; she says it only takes one commissioner to declare a state of emergency:
Declaring a state of emergency can lead to state and sometimes federal money coming to a county to fight whatever it is that prompted the emergency. Gering says that's usually due to behind-the-scenes efforts, but it is important because the counties don't have that kind of money:
Gering says summer wildfires have become a norm in the state, but believes they're getting a handle on it: