Wildfire Ready kick off campaign held this week in Union Valley

by Dennis Rahm

Residents, community leaders, forest health experts, regional fire districts, and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) joined in Chelan’s Union Valley on Tuesday to kick off this year’s Wildfire Ready Neighbors program that provides homeowners, renters, and small forest landowners the resources and tools to help protect themselves from wildfires.

The program – a collaboration between the Chelan community and DNR – takes a localized approach to proactive action plans. Last year, Chelan was the first county to launch this successful program. During the six-week pilot, 545 Chelan residents signed up for Wildfire Ready Neighbors and received custom plans to prepare their homes and properties ahead of wildfire season, exceeding program goals by 22%. Now in its second year, the program is building on that momentum by expanding to other high-risk communities in Chelan.

A 40-acre parcel of land with home and outbuildings in Union Valley was showcased as an example of how the program can be utilized to protect property from wildfire. Johnny and Sara Synder  have lived in Union Valley for more than 20 years and have seen first hand how quickly a fire can start. The couple has taken advantage of of wildfire readiness programs to protect their home and property and now serve as Community Captains for the Union Valley area hoping to assist neighbors in protecting their own properties with involvement in the Wildfire Ready Neighbors program offered by the DNR.  Through the program, people can access experts and resources that help them understand how to reduce risk on their property through actions they can take into their own hands. This includes trimming back brush, cleaning roofs and gutters, and removing debris like leafy piles. When every property in a neighborhood takes these steps, their individual homes create a large area that is less susceptible to wildfires.

“Communities need to understand how wildfires work and have an understanding of the surroundings by their homes,” said Johnny Synder, Union Valley Community Captain. The education of knowing fires’ behavior and how they travel is important. Wildfire Ready Neighbors teaches you that and what can do to reduce the risk.”

Said Sara Snyder, “our goal is to be able to say that a fire came through and all it did was burn the grass.”

Sara and Johnny Snyder

“Wildfires don’t see property lines, and people with homes in areas at high risk of wildfires are only as strong as their weakest link,” said Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz. “It’s why neighbors who live in places like Chelan know they must band together to ready themselves, their homes, and their forests against wildfires. This is an act of deep care for your neighbor and communities like Union Valley are showing us the power of building community resilience.”

In addition to residents in Union Valley, the kick off event was also attended by a number of DNR personnel, Chelan Fire and Rescue Chief Brandon Asher, Manson Fire Chief Arnold Baker, Cascadia Conservation District, and others. Renters, homeowners, and private landowners – even if they do not live on their property full time – are eligible to participate in the program.

While State Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz was unable to attend the Union Valley event because of COVID protocol, she was represented by DNR Wildland Fire Liaison Allen Lebovitz. Lebovits notes this program is close to the heart of Commissioner Franz.

This past season, firefighters battled 1,872 fires across Washington – the second-most wildfires in state history. More than 1.5 million acres have burned over the past two seasons.At no cost, residents can also request a consultation where a wildfire expert will visit their property and develop a detailed action plan for wildfire preparedness. The plan includes steps they can take immediately and information about local resources and contractors to help get them started.

To sign up for the program, visit www.wildfireready.com.