SNOHOMISH COUNTY, AUG. 1- The Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management has just launched its first survey to determine how prepared residents and business owners are in case of a wildfire.
“Wildfires don’t care about property lines or who owns what: they burn whatever fuel they encounter. Only by working together can we deny fires the fuel they seek and better protect our communities. We need your input to do that,” Lucia Schmit, the County’s director of Emergency Management, said.
The survey will remain open into November and can be accessed at: www.bit.ly/snoco_wildfire_survey.
This survey is among the first phases of a two-year plan to examine wildfire protection needs and strategies across Snohomish County. A team at the Department of Emergency Management has partnered with firefighters, state and federal agencies, local tribes, nonprofits, residents, and landowners to help develop and adopt a countywide Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP).
“The wild areas of Snohomish County are part of what makes this such a remarkable place to live, but we cannot ignore the growing risk of wildfire where our communities and forests meet,” Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers said.
Snohomish County is home to about 840,000 people, and it has already been determined that about 130,000 people -more than 15% of the county’s population- live in places where houses, farms, and businesses are among trees.
While wildfire protection poses a great challenge in those areas, wildfires still affect everyone.
The 2022 Bolt Creek Fire, for example, scorched 14,766 acres of land in King and Snohomish County. This led to closures on U.S. 2 and the smoke degraded the air quality to dangerous levels in the surrounding areas, Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management said.
“Managing wildfire risk is not something any one organization or individual can do alone,” Schmit said.
The CWPP aims to prioritize wildfire risk-reduction efforts, build fire-adapted communities and improve wildfire response. Among other things, the survey will:
- Evaluate each community’s level of wildfire preparedness, including prevention efforts.
- Gauge residents’ familiarity and knowledge of evacuation routes and alternatives.
- Identify the level of support needed to help everyone get out safely during a wildfire, regardless of mobility or medical challenges.
- Assess insurance coverage among residents.
- Find options to better support wildfire risk-reduction strategies such as community chipping programs.
- Prepare for the transportation of livestock during wildfires.
Learn more about the Community Wildfire Protection Plan project: www.bit.ly/SnoCo_CWPP
Based off a press release from The Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management.
