The Okanogan Conservation District, in partnership with Washington Department of Natural Resources, US Forest Service, and Okanogan Fire District 6, will be hosting a Firewise wildfire preparedness workshop for Methow Valley residents on Saturday, November 3. The workshop will be at the Methow Community Center, a.k.a. "the schoolhouse", behind the Methow post office.
From 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., local fire managers will discuss ways to prepare one's home and property for wildfire, how state and federal agencies are working to reduce the risks of severe wildfires, and the actions underway to recover the areas burned by the 2012 Okanogan Complex fires.
From 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., there will be an optional field trip to see Firewise techniques being implemented on private property in the Methow/Carlton area. Light refreshments will be provided. Those that plan to stay for the whole workshop should bring a brown bag lunch.
During one of the driest summers on record, the Okanogan and Wenatchee Complex fires put many communities at risk. The national Firewise Communities program is an interagency program designed to encourage local solutions for wildfire safety. The program offers simple ways community members can work together to prevent their properties from becoming fuel for a wildfire. Residents can reduce the risk of their home's ignition by simply modifying their homes and immediate surroundings. With adequate planning and cooperation among homeowners, public agencies, and community leaders, wildfires can occur without disastrous loss of life, property, and resources. In Okanogan County, the Firewise program is coordinated by the Okanogan Conservation District in cooperation with Washington Department of Natural Resources.
For more information, visit www.okanogancd.org/firewise [3]