Editorial: We are the first line of defense against wildfires
By The Herald Editorial Board
This, unfortunately, may be the calm before the firestorm.
As of Friday afternoon, there were no major wildfires burning in Washington state, according to Northwest Interagency Coordination Center; no bright-red flame icons showed against the cool green of the state map.
But other maps and reports were less comforting about the prospects for the coming months’ wildfire season in Washington state and the West in general. Colors on a state Department of Natural Resource showed yellow for the preparedness level for the DNR, the state’s largest firefighting agency. And the DNR’s map for the Northwest showed a range of red hues for heat warnings in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Nearly all of Washington and Oregon are under either excessive heat warnings or watches through the weekend.
Record high temperatures were expected this weekend and into early next week, according to the National Weather Service, with highs in Snohomish County forecast in the 90s and even into the 100s for some areas of the Cascade range. Increased wildfire danger was feared because of the expected lengthy spell of warm, dry weather and increased number of people lighting recreational fires.
In response to those dangers, the Snohomish County Fire Marshal announced a countywide burn ban that went into effect Friday morning.
“We urge the public to use great caution before lighting any recreational fires since wildfires are a significant risk across the region,” Fire Marshal Michael McCrary said in a news release. “If you have any doubts about safety, please don’t burn.”
https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/editorial-we-are-the-first-line-of-defense-against-wildfires/