GOLDENDALE, Wash. (AP) — State Lands Commissioner Peter Goldmark says more Washington residents need to take steps to protect their homes in the event of a wildfire.
A recent wildfire north of Goldendale burned more than 100 structures, including 29 homes. Goldmark flew over that fire to assess the damage and says he saw too many structures that didn’t have defensible space around them.
That included homes that burned and homes that didn’t.
The National Fire Protection Association’s Firewise communities program urges residents to clear brush, thin trees, clean out gutters and sweep pine needles off decks to prevent a wildfire from spreading.
The group recognizes communities that have taken steps to prevent themselves from wildfires. More than 700 sites in 40 states have been recognized as “firewise,” including 84 communities in Washington state.
