Pierce County, WA - The Pierce County Council issued a proclamation at its April 26th meeting instituting May as the County’s “Wildfire Awareness Month.” The proclamation underscores how wildfire risk and severity in Western Washington is trending in the wrong direction, along with the need to deliver meaningful action to mitigate these risks.
Over the past few years, wildfires have begun to show up in our “backyards.” With our summers getting drier, hotter, and smokier, we're all looking for ways to protect ourselves from wildfire risks.
We remember this as recently as 2020 with the Sumner Grade Fire, which traveled along State Route 410 between Sumner and Bonney Lake, ultimately destroying seven homes, 16 other structures, and burning 759 acres; over 7,000 residents were also evacuated.
Communities can act now to mitigate wildfire risk. To increase awareness of wildfire and in support of the County Council’s proclamation, Pierce Conservation District is inviting partners and members of the public to attend a virtual event on Wednesday, May 25th at 6 pm to discover how residents can become Firewise to prepare their communities for wildfire. Presenters will also share how Pierce Conservation District, the WA State Department of Natural Resources, and local fire departments can support residents with the right resources and information to be wildfire ready.
“We know that wildfire is becoming more and more difficult to ignore,” says 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. We’re encouraged to see the County Council recognize these dangers our communities are facing and how increasing awareness about the resources and strategies available to residents will prepare them better for wildfire. We hope folks can attend our webinar in May because that is exactly the type of information that we will be covering.”
Residents interested in registering for the May 25th webinar can access more information at Pierce Conservation District’s event webpage here: https://bit.ly/pcfirewisewebinar_pr
Nicholas Cusick
Climate Resiliency Program Manager
(253) 343-2099
NicholasC@PierceCD.org