Wildfire season is on the way. Webinar will teach Pierce County residents how to prepare
Long and sunny days are on their way to Western Washington, bringing reprieve from a wet and unusually chilly spring. But the warm weather also means the arrival of wildfire season, and the Pierce County Conservation District wants people to be prepared.
The Pierce Conservation District is organizing a virtual event May 25 to help teach people how to make their homes safer from wildfires, the organization announced Tuesday. According to a news release, residents will learn what they can do now to mitigate the risks.
“We know that wildfire is becoming more and more difficult to ignore,” said Nicholas Cusick, climate resiliency program manager with the Pierce Conservation District. “We’re living this now, and communities want to learn about what actions they can take to be prepared for this summer’s wildfire season and beyond.
The announcement follows a Tuesday proclamation from the Pierce County Council designating May as wildfire awareness month.
Wildfire season in Washington typically begins in early July and ends in late September when regular rain starts to return, according to Washington’s Emergency Management Division. In September 2020, the Sumner Grade Fire in East Pierce County burned hundreds of acres and destroyed seven homes along with 16 other structures.
The Pierce Conservation District says summers in Western Washington are only getting drier and hotter, meaning the risk of wildfires and the severity of them are getting worse.
Next month’s presentation, the Pierce County Firewise Webinar, will teach residents how they can get support from the conservation district, the Department of Natural Resources and local fire departments to have the right resources to protect their homes from wildfires.
Those interested in attending the webinar, which will run from 6 to 7:30 p.m., should register online through the Pierce Conservation District’s online RSVP form which can be found at www.piercecd.org.
