As wildfire season approaches in North Central Washington, agencies throughout the region are taking measures to prepare. While recent weeks have seen unseasonably warm temperatures, this year's spring weather has been cooler and wetter than normal, which may delay the onset of fire season but also cause ground-level vegetation to grow more vigorously, leading to an increase in wildfire fuels when it dries out in the summer.
Fire officials says that despite the cooler spring weather, the area is still at risk for wildfires due to hot temperatures, low humidity, receptive fuels, and wind. Current projections call for moderate fire activity, but experts warn things could intensify later in the season, as they did last year.
To mitigate wildfire risk, fire agencies in the region are partnering with the Department of Natural Resources and targeting high-risk areas for pre-fire mitigation.
Chelan County is also implementing measures, including large storage containers that hold water and are placed at various sites with limited firefighting resources. The county recently received $1 million in federal funding for the container project with help from Washington Congresswoman Kim Schrier (D).