Officials Warn Get Prepared NOW Yakima For the HOT Season Ahead!

The wildfire season is right around the corner and state and local officials are working to make sure everyone is prepared. The Commissioner of Public Lands, Hilary Franz, along with community partners, will kick off a new program called "Wildfire Ready Neighbors" in Yakima on Thursday May 12.

The program is now in it's second year in Washington State

State officials say Wildfire Ready Neighbors, now in its second year, is a team effort "between the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, regional fire districts, community partners, and local wildfire experts, to better prepare those most at wildfire risk." The Wildfire Ready Neighbors program is a partnership between forest health and wildfire experts and residents giving them information on how best to protect homes and properties from wildfire.

The Commissioner of Public Lands will join residents and local firefighters

State forest officials say Commissioner Franz will share how the Wildfire Ready Neighbors program helps build community resilience and share tips on how residents can sign up to get a free action plan." It's all an effort to save lives and properties. Neighbors in Falcon Ridge are holding a kick-off event on Thursday, May 12 at 10:30 am, in the Falcon Ridge neighborhood, an area the program says is "one of the most high-risk communities in Yakima." The event is open to the public.

The program started last year and there's lots of interest

The program is popular. Last year the Wildfire Ready Neighbors program launched across Washington State in Chelan, Okanagan and Spokane Counties. Officials say during that year Wildfire Ready Neighbors had more than 2,200 sign-ups across the state where residents received custom plans to prepare their homes and property ahead of wildfire season.
According to the Wildfire Ready Neighbors program last summer, 102 fires burned more than 107,000 acres in Yakima County.

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