Despite recent rain and cool conditions early wildfires are predicted, experts warn

A heightened fire danger has been announced on Chelan County, state and national forest lands.

"They've already moved Chelan and Valley (fire zone) into moderate (hazard) out of low," said Chelan County Fire Marshal Chris Pederson, in a discussion with Chelan County Commissioners on Monday. "There's already concerns for potential issues. And we're supposed to be, from all of the data they collected from last year's fires moving forward, they say starting in July pretty much all of Washington is in deep red."

Wildfires scorched about 300,000 acres across federal, state, tribal and privately owned land in Washington last year - nearly 39,000 acres on the Sawtooth Wilderness north of Lake Chelan.

What’s the best guess this year?

"I think what we're headed for at the start of fire season is a pretty typical progression," said Matt Dehr, Chief Wildfire Meteorologist with The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR). "East slopes of the cascades, that's where our drought is, that's where we tend to see large fires first in June and early July. I think that's going to track pretty well with expectations this year."

"Eastern Washington is very dry," added Dehr, on TVW's The Impact program. "The east slopes of the cascades from about Lake Chelan south to I-90, that portion of the mountains, that portion of the Columbia Basin, that's where I see our first issues being."

"You need to prepare ahead of time," said Dehr. "One of the key pieces of our community resilience planning is helping folks access some of that material that can help them clear out the defensible space around their home. Provide even like grants and some sort of cross-recovery to get that work done. It really is the difference between that ember landing in vegetation right next to your house, lighting that bush on fire, and potentially damaging your structure. When you have good defensible space, it makes it a lot easier for firefighters to protect your home in the event of a wildfire as well."

Local firefighters are ramped up for the advent of wildfire season. Washington State legislation that changed the benefit package for volunteer firefighters to be able to receive the option of deferred compensation may be partially responsible for a rush on volunteer firefighter interest in the Chelan Valley.

"We're having to buy more racks (for firefighter gear) to put more firefighters in," said Manson Fire Chief Arnold Baker on KOZI Community Connection. "It's pushed us to over 40 firefighters, that's a new high for us. Volunteerism is not dead, you just gotta to put the value out there so that people will invest their time."

Chelan Fire and Rescue has also brought aboard new seasonal and volunteer firefighters.

Chief Baker emphasized the need for your investment in creating defensible space between your home and property and what can burn in a wild land fire..

In the event of a wildfire, DNR has a new website, dnr.wa.gov/smoke, for tips and real-time information on the impacts of wildfire smoke.