Tips for creating a firewise landscape you can implement today

SPOKANE, Wash. - Spokane County faces heightened fire risk this week prompting urgent calls for residents to prepare for potential wildfires.

Studies reveal that eighty percent of homes lost to wildland fires could have been saved with proper clearing of surrounding brush and if d efensible space was created around structures.

The Department of Natural Resources is advising residents on how to protect their families and homes. Wednesday has been designated a Red Flag Day, with temperatures exceeding one hundred degrees and high winds expected from possible summers. Preventing risk starts with recognizing threats like weather.

If you haven’t prepared your yard yet, now is the time. To reduce the risk of a wildfire starting on your property, The Department of Natural Resources’s Guy Gifford recommends simple, cost-free actions that require only minutes, hours, or a weekend to complete

Simple measures like keeping garbage and recycling bin lids closed can prevent embers from igniting inside.

It’s also important to clear grass, dry brush, leaves, and pine needles from your yard, which can easily ignite and spread fires. You will also want to clean window wells, gutters, and your roof.

Gifford recommends keeping flammable materials at least thirty feet from your home, and surrounded by concrete or rocks.

"For a fire-resilient landscape, choose green plants like flowers and succulents," Gifford advised. Plants that do not fit into these categories should be promptly maintained or removed.

DNR also recommends you thin overcrowded or weakened trees. You may also consider pruning low-hanging branches to keep a ground fire from climbing.

DNR foresters are available to conduct free property assessments and provide personalized fire mitigation advice. For more information, visit DNR's website.

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