Join Chelan County Fire Chief, Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz and others

Information released by Washington State Department of Natural Resources and Chelan Fire & Rescue

Wildfire season is upon us. A panel of fire professionals, including Chelan County Fire Chief Brian Brett, and Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz, are offering a webinar to provide tips and answer questions about the threat of wildfire.

The free webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, July 1, from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. You can register for the webinar here.

Officials indicate there will be a brief presentation followed by an open forum for questions regarding wildfire preparedness. They indicate that successful firefighter response can be greatly aided by communities and homeowners who follow firewise guidelines. And the underlying message is helping prevent fire whenever possible.

Continue reading for additional information from Chelan Fire & Rescue

Chelan Valley Wildfire Season

What is wildland fire?
  • Wildland fires are any unplanned fire that burn in forests and other wildlands – such as shrub or grass – or in our case sagebrush.
  • How are wildland fires started?
  • Wildland fire can be started by weather events, such as thunderstorms, but nearly 85% are human caused.

Chelan poses an additional challenge to wildland firefighting: have you heard the term “Urban Interface”?

Wildland Urban Interface is the line, area or zone where structures and other human development meet or intermingle with undeveloped wildland or vegetative fuels. We’ve seen the hazard potential of Urban Interface during tragedy fires like the Camp Fire or Kincade Fire in California, where thousands of homes were destroyed and nearly a hundred lives were claimed. Chelan was found to hold the 6th highest catastrophic potential in the Northwest. You can make a difference!
Residents of the Lake Chelan Valley can help Chelan Fire and Rescue protect our community by preparing their homes before wildland season arrives.